The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Baba has launched a special operation at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu.
The new special operational action plan, Operation Restore Peace is code-named “OPERATION RP”, according to the IGP, is targeted at returning the South-Eastern region to its historical pride of place where its people are known to be peaceful, tolerant, innovative, industrious and entrepreneurial.
Through a statement, Baba said: “that the special operation has become necessary to engender all-inclusive security actions to roll back the murderous attacks, violence, proliferation of weapons and other threats to law and order occasioned by the separatist agenda being heightened by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the South-East region.
“The IGP observed that activities of the group in the region have assumed an armed dimension in which important political and community leaders, as well as personnel and assets of the Nigeria Police, Military and other security agencies, critical national infrastructure, are being constantly targeted in clearly well-coordinated, premeditated manners. This is in addition to deepening inter-ethnic prejudice and intolerance, unjustifiable inter-ethnic violence and counter-violence, loss of lives and massive destruction of properties.
The IGP commended the efforts of the South-east Governors and other stakeholders in the region for supporting Police in restoring security and strengthening national unity.
He said that ”in the coming days the Special Operation will be extended to other parts of the South-East region to confront criminal elements, take the battle to their doorsteps, and re-order our cherished national values in the region.”
The IGP further noted that the “Operation RP” will be replicated in other parts of the country, to address peculiar crimes including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, amongst others.
“The ‘Operation’ will be carried out by operatives of the Force in collaboration with the Armed Forces, the intelligence community and other sister security agencies.
The personnel deployed have been charged to be civil with the law-abiding citizens, but firm and ruthless with criminal elements operating under any guise whatsoever who may attempt to test the collective will of the people. him.
His host Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State commended the IGP for initiating the Special operation. He described the operation as timely and believes it will help in rejigging and re-tooling the security architecture of the South-East.
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