Halt MASSOB protests, IG tells Ohanaeze

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The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has called on the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze N’digbo, to halt the ongoing protests in some states by the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra and the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The IG asked Ohanaeze to save law-abiding and innocent citizens in the affected states from the hardship being meted out to them by MASSOB and IPOB.

Arase, who said this in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, on Thursday in Abuja reminded the protesters, particularly those embarking on violent street protests, that “such actions are criminalised by law, and anybody arrested will be treated as such under the appropriate legislations.”

The statement said, “The IG, while calling on the leadership of Ohanaeze to intervene in these superfluous protests, to save the law-abiding and innocent citizens in the affected states from the hardship being meted out by the groups, reminded those embarking on violent protests/assemblies that such actions are criminalised by law, and anybody arrested will be treated as such under the appropriate legislations.”

The IG denied speculations in the social media that the police had killed some MASSOB and IPOB members during their protests, stressing that despite provocation, police officers had managed the situation with a high sense of responsibility and professionalism.

He called on citizens to disregard the allegation by the two groups, describing it as false and a calculated attempt to attract undue attention and sympathy.

“The Nigeria Police Force is conscious of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association amongst others as enshrined in Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), and cannot afford to maim or kill citizens exercising these rights,” Arase stated.

Noting that the police were duty-bound to enforce these rights, the IG charged police officers in state commands to ensure that citizens embarking on rallies and other peaceful demonstrations were provided adequate security in line with the standard operational practice of the Force.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), has promised to refocus the ministry for greater service delivery.

Dambazau, who met with top-level officials of the ministry including heads of the paramilitary agencies and a representative of the IG, described his appointment as the beginning of a new dawn in the ministry.

He said, “It is a fact that the idea of security has moved away from the traditional state-centric approach to the one that is human related, the people-centered approach.

“I intend to move with speed but yet with informed circumspection. Our ministry must be primed to the highest level of capability to effective lead a multi-agency platform in the current counter-insurgency war.”

He lamented the situation at the prisons saying the facilities were congested, adding that those that were convicted were not being properly handled in a way that would reform them or deter others.

The minister said he would formally take delivery of handing-over notes next Tuesday in order to outline the major areas of reforms.

Source: Punch