Igbo Quit Notice: IG Orders Arrest of Any Arewa Group that Molests Any Nigerian

Says ‘We will implement same security strategy used for IPOB for Arewa Youths’.

Puts AIGs, Command CPs on Alert.

Says Nobody under Constitution has right to Stop Nigerians living in any part of this country.

By: Kingsley Omonobi, Joseph Erunke – Abuja.

Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Thursday, ordered Assistant Inspectors General of Police and State’s Commissioners of Police in the North to immediately arrest and bring to book those behind Tuesday’s three-month eviction notice given to the Ibos to leave the northern part of the country.

He also charged various State Police Commands to begin manhunt for those beating the drums of war across the country, saying “Anybody, individual or group that attempts to prevent any Nigerian from carrying out his daily activities, the constitution vests in us, the responsibilities to ensure that those guys are stopped by all means.”

Idris spoke at the Force Headquarters, during a meeting with 36 states Police commissioners and officers above the rank of commissioners.

“I think the Nigerian Police Force have responsibility to stop these groups and I think the announcement was made by some groups that called themselves by Arewa; nobody has that authority to stop any Nigerian from participating or to reside in any part of this country.

“It is a constitutional rights and I believe it is illegal and I think as CPs, AIGs of commands we have responsibility to ensure that these groups do not sort of prevent other Nigerians from exercising their individual rights.

“I think it is very important and I want to use this opportunity to call all of you to prevent some of these groups that obviously are acting outside the constitution of the law of this country, “he charged.

Epatiating on the threat that Ibos should quit the region within three months, IGP Idris said: “Like I observed, no individual or group have authority to stop any Nigerians from pursuing his daily bread in any part of this country, because these are rights that are guaranteed by the constitution and we are not going to allow some of these groups to carry out these threats. These are the issues that we are here to discuss”.

“I want all of us to be alert, to note that anybody, individual or any group that attempts to prevent any Nigerian from carrying out his daily activities, we have responsibilities to ensure that those guys are stopped by all means.”

“As a Nigerian, no group or authority has a right to prevent any Nigerian from doing its daily activities, either movement or association which are legal anyway.

Regarding the number of persons arrested so far, following the directive by Kaduna State government to that effect, the IGP said no arrest have been made.

He vowed that the police would tackle the threat of the Arewa youths through adoption of similar measures it used in handling the agitation of the Movement for the Emancipation of Sovereign People of Biafra and the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, when they came up.

 

His words, “On the issue of the threat, of course you see the procedure that we adopted in dealing with the problem when this IPOB thing came up last month. We are adopting the same procedure.

“We are just trying to ensure that no individual causes confusion in this country because making some of these threats constitutes subversive activities against the security of the state and we cannot allow that to happen.

“Obviously, we are going to conduct investigation into it but you observe that one state government has issued a directive to the security agencies. Of course, you are aware that some of the security agencies in the state include our commissioners of police because they are members of the state security council from their various individual states.

“that is why I am issuing that order to all of them, as CPs. They are to ensure that the directive issued by the Kaduna State governor is carried out as far as there is an impediment to the law of this country.

“It is a directive and an authority on them to ensure that where these groups are seen, obviously we have the security to arrest them and that is what I am telling them now as I am sitting here, that all our CPs should arrest any of these persons or groups.

“I think they mentioned some dates, we have to be very conscious of those dates and ensure that those individual or groups can’t hold down this country to sort of actualize those threats they made, we cannot allow it.”

On the proliferation of police spy plate numbers, use of sirens and use of tinted glass by motorists which were being used for robbery activities and kidnapping, the IGP said a task force such abuses will be set up soon check these excesses.

The IGP said a new unit, the Terrorism Investigation Unit has been set up by the Police High Command with the mandate of investigate the sources of arms for terrorists, source of IEDS making materials that is strapped to young girls to commit suicide bombings.

He said the purpose of the unit is preventive as well as complementing efforts of other security agencies in the fight against terrorism.

Towards this end also, the IGP warned Police Formations in the country particularly zonal, states and Divisional headquarter to beef up security at these headquarters to avoid the ramphant situation where armed robbers targeting banks and other concerns, first attack the police station, demobilize the men before proceeding to rob the banks without resistance.

 

 

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