Law enforcement officers have told Nigerians to prepare to take care of themselves during the yuletide season they cannot guarantee providing security.
Rising from a joint meeting of law-enforcement officers, in areas worst affected by EndSARS protests in Southern part of the country, a police officer (name withheld) present at the meeting told PRNigeria that Nigerians should not anticipate getting adequate security during the ember months and forthcoming yuletide celebration.
The policeman, who is a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), said that Nigerians should rather find a way to protect themselves from thugs, hoodlums and miscreants during the period.
According to him, the meeting which was attended by officers of the Nigerian military, security, intelligence and response agencies analysed how the violent assaults on innocent security personnel during the #EndSARS protest, significantly dampened the morale of many of servicemen and women.
“In these ember months, and up to Christmas period and the New Year, I doubt if any of the security services can guarantee maximum security as usual. There is no way we can discharge our statutory responsibilities and function when we have become soft targets of miscreants and violent persons,” he said.
The DPO further said it will be over his dead body to allow any of his officers and men to be drafted to life-threatening beats and assignments during the period. He added: “Our destroyed facilities are yet to be reconstructed and rehabilitated; our looted armouries are yet to be restocked and when our men and women are yet to get over the humiliation of the atrocities committed on them by the same people we are charged to protect, how can we return to our duty post?”
A customs officer who also spoke to PRNigeria said: “It is unfortunate that the anti-police attitude and hostility was also extended to other members of the Law Enforcement Community such as the Nigeria Customs, Federal Road Safety, Civil Defence, the Correctional Service, VIO and even the military who also suffered losses in the aftermath of the Endsars violence.”
READ ALSO: #EndSARS Protests: Senator Insists On Special Status For Lagos
The Next Edition reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu had put the number of policemen who lost their lives during the violence which erupted after soldiers shot at unarmed protesters in Lagos, at 22.
He also disclosed that 205 police across the country had been burnt and vandalised by the hoodlums who hijacked the protest.
Adamu, therefore, directed his men to, henceforth, protect and defend themselves against any attack by hoodlums, pointing out that officers too had human rights.
Speaking while on an on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Adamu said: “If anybody touches or assaults you, you can also protect yourself.”
Also, the Police Service Commission (PSC) which is the employer of the police has said it would not force officers to return to work after the recent attack on them and their facilities.
The Commission’ s position was made known by its spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani, who was reacting to media reports that the commission had threatened to sack officers who failed to return to their duty posts.
Ani noted that “It will be very insensitive at this point for anyone to say that the Commission will dismiss any policeman who didn’t return to work.”
According to him, the Commission can only plead with the officers to, in the spirit of nationalism return to work while Government works out enough protective pprogrammes faor them.
More than a week after the violent unrest, policemen are yet to return to their duty posts.
