By Chizoba Ogbeche Abuja
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has said that local youths were behind the increasing kidnappings and armed robbery on the Abuja/Kaduna highways. Th e police boss also said the Force would give post-humous promotion to Inspector Idris Musa, who died on July 24, 2017, from injuries he and two other offi cers sustained when they were attacked from Boko Haram insurgents moving to attack public centres, places of worship and other locations in Kano metropolis in the early hours the previous day. Idris disclosed this while speaking at the monthly meeting with senior police offi cers, Commissioners of Police and above, yesterday at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, saying that the route had become a challenge.
“We have been conducting several operations in diff erent parts of the country. Kaduna/Abuja road has become a challenge and I think CPs Kaduna, Niger and FCT have to go round and talk to some of these communities. “Because I am defi nitely sure that all these kidnappings are done by the local youths in these areas not people who are coming from outside. So, there is need for you to talk to the community members for them to support the eff orts of the security agencies in tackling these kidnappings. “…I am very sure that with the new deployment we are going to see changes but to compliment all these eff orts CP FCT, Niger and Kaduna states must go to sort of sensitise and enlighten the public on the challenges as well as that the issue of security is everybody’s business.
He said Inspector Musa, who he described as ‘a very gallant offi cer’, had gone with his colleagues to arrest a suspected insurgent as follow-up of an earlier arrest when they were attacked with IEDs. “He went to a suspect’s house and the man came out and started throwing IEDs at them. One of the IEDs exploded and injured the offi cer. Th at is what led to his death. We are going to give the offi cer post-humous promotion because honestly he deserves it.” He charged the CPs on monitoring the professional conduct of junior offi cers, especially illegal duties, adding that the commissioners were expected to be operationally in command even over special operations within their states. “Every policemen working in the state must come under your Command. Set up the X-Squad to go round and ensure all deployments within the state is ratifi ed by the current police high command or they remain null and void.”
