Abuja – The Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu, has cautioned police personnel deployed for the enforcement of the lockdown and social restriction orders against human rights abuse.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) DCP Frank Mba disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Adamu urged the police to ensure that persons on essential duty were duly exempted from the restriction orders and accorded due courtesy and unfettered access to and from their duty posts.
According to him, the world is currently in an extraordinary moment, with lockdown taking its tolls on every aspect of human existence.
“Therefore, all police officers deployed for the enforcement of these restriction orders must be professional, humane, and tactful and must show utmost respect to the citizenry.
“To this end, Command Commissioners of Police (CP) are therefore, directed to immediately commence conduct monitoring of officers deployed on enforcement duties in their areas of responsibilities.
“Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) across the nation are to ensure adequate supervision of personnel under their watch, as well as due compliance with the Standard Operating Procedure guiding this special task.
“The AIGs and CPs are also to ensure robust anti-crime patrols and surveillance around vulnerable targets,” he said.
According to him, the vulnerable targets include medical facilities, shops and markets, residential areas, financial institutions and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) points.
Adamu said anti-crime patrols and surveillance would deny criminals the opportunity of taking undue advantage of the current COVID-19 challenge to perpetrate crime against the citizenry.
The I-G expressed profound gratitude to Nigerians for their resilience and voluntary compliance with the social restriction orders and cooperation with the police at all times.
He urged citizens to continue to observe all precautionary instructions issued by relevant health authorities for the country to be able to wipe out the coronavirus pandemic.
