IG of police orders arrest of Arewa youths behind

anti-Igbo ultimatum

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State to investigate and arrest members of the coalition of Northern youths who signed and issued the provocative ultimatum to Igbos living in the North to vacate the region in three months.

The will recalls that a coalition of Northern youths had at a news conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, handed a three-month quit notice to South-Easterners living in the North, even as it ordered Northerners living in the South Eastern part of the country to return to the North.

The group attributed the ultimatum to the persistent agitation by the Igbo ethnic group to have their own country as well as their compliance with the May 30th sit-at-home protest ordered by pro-Biafra groups in commemoration of the declaration of Biafra.

But fielding questions from newsmen on Thursday during the monthly IG Conference with Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, CPs and other senior officers at the Force headquarters, Abuja, the IGP enjoined the state Commissioners of Police to ensure that the ultimatum was not carried out.

He asserted that no individual or group of persons had the right to ask any individual to leave his or her place of residence in any part of the country.

“We have no arrests yet; As Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, we have the responsibility to stop this group of persons from carrying out their threats.

“I want us to be at alert to ensure that such persons or group were stopped at all cost from carrying out their threats.

“No individual has the authority to stop anybody from looking for his daily bread,” he said.

Idris explained that the Constitution guaranteed every citizen the right to live in any part of the country he or she chooses.

 Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris

On the abuse of siren and spy number plate by unauthorised persons, Idris said that a task force would be constituted across the country to check the situation.

He noted that some individuals used them to commit crimes, adding that synergy between the force and other security agencies was critical to its operations.

“We are going to check the excesses of these individuals who abuse siren and spy number plates,” he stated.

Idris urged the various commands to beef up security in their formations as security challenges were taking different dimensions.

He said the force had started the establishment of some operational units in the commands across the country to tackle emerging security challenges.

“We are facing new security challenges in the country and we have to respond to it. We are trying to enhance our capacity with the establishment of these units, taking into consideration the new security challenges in the country. We plan to set up new MOPOL squadrons in Imo, Anambra, Plateau, Enugu, Ogun, and Osun states,” he said.

The police boss further explained that the Special Protection Unit would also be established in all state commands, noting that it would soon be operational in many more states.

He explained that every commissioner of police was in charge of units in his or her command regardless of their base.

Idris urged state governors to support the force for effective response to security threats across the country.

On the abducted Lagos students, the IGP asked the Commissioner of Police, CP, in Lagos, Fatai Owoseni for an update.

The CP simply said rescue efforts were ongoing and declined to provide further insight for security reasons.

He explained that the police was concerned about the safety of the children in trying to rescue them.

Idris expressed concern over the location of schools close to the sea where miscreants always had easy access to such schools through the Atlantic.

He stated that the marine police would be trained to flood the creeks.