Rivers Police, Civil Defence, bare teeth at Salah holidays, but hot spots in Garden City still dreaded
Both the Nigerian Police Command and the Civil Defence bared their teeth as the Salah holidays came close, followed by a weekend, giving Nigerians almost a one-week holiday.
Both the Nigerian Police Command and the Civil Defence bared their teeth as the Salah holidays came close, followed by a weekend, giving Nigerians almost a one-week holiday. Hot spots in the Garden City, especially Eleme Junction and Oil Mill Market, remain dreaded.
The police in the state is led by Olugbenga Adepoju, while the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is led by Joachim Okafor. They said they rolled out strategic and technical resources to promote peace in the state for people to enjoy a long rest.
The Rivers State Police Command, under Adepoju, said it intensified security operations and deployed robust safety measures across the State even ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir and Children’s Day celebrations.
According to Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, an assistant superintendent of police (ASP), who is the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the State Police command, the strategic security initiative was aimed at guaranteeing a peaceful, crime-free, and hitch-free festive period for all residents and visitors across Rivers State.
In line with this commitment, she stated, the Command activated comprehensive operational strategies including intensified confidence-building patrols, intelligence-led policing, strategic deployment of tactical and conventional personnel, surveillance operations, stop-and-search duties, and enhanced visibility policing in critical locations and other vulnerable areas across the State.
Security presence has also been reinforced around worship centres, recreational facilities, markets, motor parks, highways, and other public spaces expected to witness increased human and vehicular movement during the celebrations.
The Commissioner of Police reassured the people of Rivers State of the Command’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property before, during, and after the festivities. He further urged residents to remain vigilant, peaceful, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies to ensure a safe and successful celebration.
Parents and guardians were particularly advised to closely monitor their children during the Children’s Day festivities, while motorists were encouraged to adhere strictly to traffic regulations and avoid reckless driving.
Members of the public were encouraged to promptly report any suspicious persons, movements, or activities to the nearest Police Station or through the Command’s emergency lines.
The police re-issued emergency response contacts and Complaint Response Unit (CRU) numbers, including 07057605209; 07057605256; 08120822987; 07072323049; and Control Room number 08032003514.
The police not only assured but also wished the people and children happy celebrations.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state said it deployed specialised and tactical teams ahead of the Eid-El-Kabir, saying it was to beef up security across the state and its environs, before, during and after the Sallah celebration.
They said this was a sequel to a strategic management briefing by Okafor, the State Commandant, held at the Command’s Headquarters on Olu Obasanjo Road.
According to Ihemnacho Umeado, the image maker for the Command, the state commandant (Okafor) consequently directed the immediate deployment of component units and tactical squads to identified black spots and likely flashpoints across the state, which included recreational centres, Eid prayer grounds, major road intersections, markets, motor parks, amongst others.
The State Commandant was also said to have reiterated the Corps commitment to the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure and consequently directed the Command’s Anti-vandal unit to intensify patrol and surveillance across key installations, such as Telecommunications facilities, PHCN infrastructure, Oil and Gas pipelines and a host of others.
He also assured the state of protection, seized the opportunity, to warn that the command would decisively deal with criminal elements that would attempt to take advantage of the window to carry out their nefarious activities.
The State Commandant further appealed to members of the public to report every suspicious activity around their neighbourhood to the nearest security post, for prompt response and containment.
Despite this tough-talking stance, there was no mention or known intrusion of the security units to notorious locations identified by citizens, such as Oil Mill Market and Eleme Junction (up or down) where those termed bad boys operate without restraint, from as early as 6:30 pm.
Victims or corpses are usually picked up at the Eleme Junction while ladies bleeding from knife attacks usually flee from Oil Mill Market in the evenings. A source that monitored the area said: “Those boys are very ready to stab you to death if you don’t oblige their demands.
“They operate in large numbers such as can overwhelm you, and then they leave you either devastated/stranded or dead.”
Citizens say the police may or may not be doing enough to curtail this evil norm. “As of yesterday, a mature man was stabbed and left to die in a pool of his own blood around the Eleme junction flyover. As at yesterday noon, the corpse hadn’t been evacuated yet.
“Most Mini-bus drivers are working with them. The drivers usually claim to be offloading or having a faulty engine, or running out of petrol, around the aforementioned axis. They deliberately delay to allow the miscreants enough time to launch an attack.”
The source thus advised: “If you eventually find yourself in such a tight situation, please don’t drag or argue; nothing is worth losing your life for. Please stay sharp, stay vigilant. If you happen to be on Aba Road at late hours, try to not drop around these areas. In the vehicle, stay awake and vigilant too.”
Few months back, a private car operator was killed by two men who boarded his car somewhere but attacked him at Eleme Junction under the flyover. He was believed to have resisted them, going by the mess of blood everywhere in the car. He may have been overpowered.
Many wonder why security operatives do not seem to deploy these strategies they boast about at Eleme Junction and other hot spots in the city.
