The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Mr Aderemi Adeoye, has pledged to provide appropriate security across the state to ensure peaceful and serene Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Adeoye gave the assurance in an interview in Awka on Monday.
He said that though the security situation in Anambra at the moment was calm, the police would ensure that criminals do not exploit the situation to disrupt the peace of the state.
”Measures on ground are adequate to guarantee safety and security of everyone in Anambra; we are good to go, the people of Anambra will enjoy a peaceful Christmas and prosperous new year celebrations.
”We will continue to fine tune our strategy and deployment policy to ensure we are several steps ahead of those who are on the other side of the law.
“As a command, our aim is to provide adequate security for everyone to carry out their legitimate businesses and to live without let or hindrance or harassment,” he added.
According to him, the personnel are well motivated and their morale is high to carry out their responsibilities.
”The enthusiasm is unprecedented, so I do not foresee any situation that will be beyond them to handle,” he said.
Adeoye said the command would focus on providing general security and protection of for vulnerable and exposed persons.
“The manpower situation can be better but we will make do with what we have; and for general security, we have enough manpower.
”It is when individuals want a battalion to escort or guard their houses that we have a challenge.
“Insecurity in the Southeast is peculiar, we have an insurgency going on even though it has been controlled to an extent, so the idea of not protecting VIPs does not arise,” he said.
Adeoye explained that the Inspector General of Police did not stop the protection of VIPs, but that such protection would not be by the police mobile force the police which was trained for riot control, ensuring order and managing conflicts.
According to him, it will be disastrous to leave those who are exposed and vulnerable to the whims and caprices of armed hoodlums.
“We have elements in the force like the special protection unit, men in the department of operation, who are suited for the protection of VIPs, but the VIPs must be real VIPs.
“Normally, everybody regards himself and I respect that, that is why everyone has to be protected but individualized protection is what we may not be able to accommodate this time,” the CP said.
