Zone 5 of the Nigeria Police Force, Benin City on Sunday warned troublemakers within its coverage areas not to test the collective will of the nation by coming out to cause any further breakdown of law and order.
Zone 5 of the Police Force comprises Edo and Delta.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in the zone, Sholla David gave the warning while briefing newsmen shortly before a strategic management meeting in Benin City.
David said the warning was a directive from the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to all police officers to occupy all their areas of operation to provide security.
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The AIG warning came amid safekeeping of government establishments and strategic places in Edo State by security operatives.
At the press briefing, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, however, assured residents of the resolve by the police to restore public confidence.
“I appeal to the law abiding citizens of Edo and Delta States to go about their lawful businesses that the Police will do all within their statutory powers to ensure protection of lives and property.
” I therefore, advise parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to eschew crimes and criminality and avoid the temptation of joining criminal elements in perpetuating violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property.
“The police is warning lawbreakers to stay off the streets of the states. We also urged law abiding citizens to go about their legitimate businesses
“I want to appeal to the media to do accurate reportage of the incidents to help check cases of fake news which I think has been aggravating the crisis”,he said.
On his part, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo who disclosed that several arrests have been made in the state, insisted that only hoodlums and not #EndSARS protesters have been arrested.
Kokumo added that the attack on warehouses on Saturday in the state was an indications that the protesters are now hoodlums and arsonists.
He threatened that any of them caught would be treated as hoodlums and arsonists.
“Three police stations were razed, some police vehicles were also burnt in so many cases, exhibits, and individuals vehicles were also burnt.
“But we thank God there have not been any casualty of death of police personnel. We have made a number of arrests and we are still out to make more arrests. Arrests of hoodlums, not protesters so those who have attacked police formations, those who have set police stations on fire, those who set police patrol vehicles on fire, exhibits, those who have physically assaulted police officers will not be treated as protesters but hoodlums and we are still on their trail”,he added.
Meanwhile, security operatives have been stationed at government establishments and strategic places in Edo State to protect against damage due to intelligence reports that suspected hoodlums allegedly threatened to attack more government institutions.
BusinessDay gathered that a voice message went viral in the state threatening to attack and set ablaze more government buildings across the state.
Recall, that hoodlums had last week, attacked and set ablaze several federal, state and privates institutions and establishments in the state.
The state government warehouse was on Saturday burgled and COVID-19 materials looted, as well as private warehouses in Benin metropolis.
Some of the state government ministries and departments being protected by security operatives, mostly soldiers are those in Palm House along Sapele Road, state Civil Service Commission, Benin High court.
One of the lanes in Sapele road was completely closed to traffic while the road that lead to the Benin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), the State Police Command and State ministry of Agriculture was also completely closed to traffic.
The road to the 4 Brigade Headquarters from the Benin Golf Course Road was also closed to traffic as the road leads to a private warehouse.
The security had on Saturday foiled suspected attacks by hoodlums on the warehouse believed to be privately owned.
