The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has warned police officers against the trampling of civilians in the name of the coronavirus lockdown.
He urged them to be ‘professional, humane and tactful’ in the enforcement of the lockdown.
Several people have been suggesting that armed officers will abuse and batter Nigerians in the name of the lockdown.
“The IGP notes that the global community is now in extraordinary times, with the lockdown taking its tolls on every component of our national life,” The IGB wrote in a statement released on the Nigeria Police Force blog.
“Therefore, all police officers deployed for the enforcement of these restriction orders must be professional, humane and tactful and must show utmost respect to the citizenry.
Meanwhile, he also instructed Command Commissioners of Police to monitor the officers deployed to enforce the shutdown.
“To this end, the IGP has directed Command Commissioners of Police to immediately commence conduct monitoring of Police Officers deployed on enforcement duties in their areas of responsibilities.
“The IGP has equally charged Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) across the nation to ensure adequate supervision of personnel under their watch, as well as due compliance with the Standard Operating Procedure guiding this special task.
Then, he urged officers to monitor vulnerable targets, considering their chances of being attacked as a result of the desolation caused by the lockdown.
“The AIGs and CPs are also to ensure robust anti-crime patrols and surveillance around vulnerable targets such as medical facilities, shops and markets, residential areas, financial institutions and Automated Teller Machines (ATM) points, amongst others so that criminals do not take undue advantage of the current COVID-19 challenge to perpetrate crimes against the citizenry,” part of the statement added.
In other reports, several people took to the streets of Mushin to protest the lockdown. They complained of ‘poor electricity and lack of food’ saying they cannot stay locked down for 14 days.
