The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said it had deployed personnel to major highways across the country to prevent incidents of kidnapping and also guarantee security on major highways before, during and after this Yuletide season.
The NPF assured residents of the South East of their safety, following fears expressed by some citizens regarding insecurity, especially kidnapping on major highways in the region.
The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this on Monday during an end-of-year press briefing organised by the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“Let me say that we have done strategic deployment, and our deployment across the country is not to intimidate anybody. It is for us to ensure that all our routes, major highways, and communities are safe,” Adejobi said.
On the issue of roadblocks, he explained that every roadblock erected on roads was based on the consent of the state governor.
“Let me clarify that we don’t have roadblocks in Nigeria; we have stop-and-search points, nipping points, and others. Where you see roadblocks — that zigzag arrangement using logs of wood, drums, and other objects — it must have been at the request of the state governor,” he said.
“No command will set up roadblocks without the governor’s consent. In some states, governors have requested or sought the Inspector-General of Police’s permission for such measures.”
He added: “We will continue to maintain stop-and-search points until we develop a better system where vehicles and travellers can be monitored seamlessly using authorised patrols and cameras.
“But for now, for the safety of our people using these routes, these measures will remain. However, if there are issues with officers at these points, we have rolled out helplines and complaint response platforms. Let us use them.”
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