Xmas: Police, others put nation under 24-hour watch

THE Nigeria Police Force and paramilitary agencies in the country on Sunday assured Nigerians that they were prepared to make the Yuletide devoid of disasters.

While the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said he had directed all the zonal assistant Inspectors-General of Police and commissioners in charge of state Police commands to put worship centres across the country under a 24-hour security watch, Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Osita Chidoka, said he had sent 800 patrol vehicles to the roads across the country.

The heightened preparation by the agencies, our correspondents gathered, was to prevent a recurrence of violence and waste of lives via accidents during the Christmas festivities.

During last year’s Christmas Day, members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, attacked the Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, killing at least 44 parishioners.

Abubakar, in a statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said all police commissioners should personally ensure that key and vulnerable points were “effectively” protected.

These, he said, include all places of worship, recreation and shopping centres, resorts and other public places.

The statement reads in part, “CPs are to personally ensure that key and vulnerable points, including shopping malls, motor parks, financial institutions , places of worship, recreation centres and other public places are adequately and effectively protected, to enable holiday makers, worshippers and the general public enjoy maximum fulfilment.

“In a similar vein, Zonal AIGs and CPs have been directed to ensure the provision of 24-hour security around all government installations, strategic facilities and other key targets.”

Deputy spokesman for the FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, told The PUNCH on the telephone on Sunday that Chidoka had directed the deployment of 800 vehicles, 18, 000 regular marshals and 13,500 special marshals to ensure safety on the roads during the yuletide.

“The Corps Marshal has told all his officers to ensure that Nigerians have Christmas and New Year celebrations devoid of flow of blood through accidents. Already, he has directed the deployment of 800 vehicles, 18, 000 regular staff, both officers and marshals, 13, 500 special marshals in the highways nationwide. Mobile courts are also in place to try traffic offenders. He (Chidoka) will be on aerial surveillance to monitor traffic.

“The deployed staff will engage in enforcement, public enlightenment, traffic calming and control during the Yuletide,” Kazeem said.

Already, security in the Federal Capital Territory was beefed up on Sunday.

Our correspondents observed that more security men had been deployed in the Louis Edet House headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force and the Defence headquarters in Abuja

At the Airport Road, soldiers increased their scrutiny of vehicles going into the city.

Abubakar warned officers who would be deployed during the period to ensure that they comported themselves within the confines of the law.

“They must be firm but polite, civil and professional in the discharge of their assigned roles, giving due regard and respect to the fundamental human rights of citizens at all times,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency on Sunday said it had put its search and rescue teams across the country on the alert.

The Director- General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, said in a statement by the Head, Public Relations, Yushau A. Shuaib, that the agency would collaborate with other organisations in any emergency.

Sani-Sidi said, “All search and rescue officers of the NEMA and those of other response agencies as well as trained emergency volunteers throughout the federation have been put on the alert in case of any untoward development between the Christmas period and the New Year.

“The activation of search and rescue officers to be on the full alert has been the tradition of the agency in its collaborative efforts with other agencies and volunteers in responding to distress situation.”

The NEMA boss however lamented the inability of the Nigerian Communication Commission to provide the country with a 3-digit National Emergency call line as obtained in other countries.

“We are waiting for NCC to work out the emergency toll free number as soon as possible to help us on disaster management,” he said.

Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, however told one of our correspondents on Sunday that the emergency communication centre would be completed next year.

Ojobo said the nation’s emergency number, when completed, would be 112.

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said it had deployed more than 60,000 regular and non-regular personnel across the country to maintain law and order during the Christmas and New year celebrations.

A statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Corps Public Relations Officer, Emma Okeh, stated that all the senior officers had been directed to be part of the assignment.