Police ready for Al-Qaeda terrorists - Deploy anti-terrorist squads in Lagos, Port Harcourt, others - IG set to withdraw policemen from banks

From Bolaji Ogundele and Chris Agbambu - 14.05.2008

THE Nigeria Police Force has inaugurated an anti-terrorist squad, deploying it in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Kano for effective coverage of the areas against possible terrorist activities.

Disclosing this to the press in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the new Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Balla Hassan, said that he had resumed in the state to take policing to a new professional level.

Hassan, who announced the arrest of four suspected kidnappers in Ikpokiri, Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of the state, reported to have kidnapped and raped three women, said the new anti-terrorist squad would work with the Mobile Police Squadron 48, Ahoada, to protect strategic facilities in the state.

According to him, the new special squad would soon be sent abroad for further training in small weapons, arms tactics and armoured personnel carrier manoeuvres, adding that the squad would also be sent to the Infantry School in Jaji for special weapon training that would enable them to effectively tackle the prevailing insecurity in the Niger Delta.

He said the deployment of the additional officers was responsible for the increased presence of policemen in many parts of Port Harcourt.

He said new patrol teams had been created in addition to the multiplication of checkpoints in the state capital.

“We are aware that a new squadron has been created in Ahoada. The idea is to ensure that there are many mobile police squadrons in states that need them. We now have 54 squadrons throughout the country.

“The anti-terrorist squads have been posted to four locations. These are Kano, Lagos, Rivers states and the FCT. And very soon, they will be going outside the country for a one-month training.

“By the time they are through, things will improve for us and they will also be sent to infantry training centre for special weapons training to ensure that they are sufficiently equipped and motivated to tackle the challenges of the Niger Delta region.

“With the new squadron in Ahoada, we are adding to the strength of the men we have here, to control crimes in the communities,” he said.

Hassan further said that as part of efforts to ensure law and order, the state police command would collaborate with other security agencies in the state and also get reinforcements from neighbouring states.

“I have come with a strong desire to work. I am quite aware of the security situation in the state, but I cannot achieve anything alone, I need the support of everybody,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the deadline given to banks to acquire bulletproof bullion vans expired on Tuesday, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, has directed all state commissioners of police to only release their men for special escort if banks undertake to provide two back up vehicles for use by the policemen to escort bullion vans properly defined.

Consequently, all commissioners of police in the states will henceforth be held liable for the death of any policeman that they released to undertake escort duty for banks that had failed to meet all the set conditions.

The IGP, who warned that there was no going back on the directive, while presenting cheques to families of three slain policemen and the five injured while escorting N125 million from Awka to the Benin City branch of a bank on February 7, 2008, said that he could not continue to lose his men to armed robbers in that way.

According to him, at Uvbe Village near Ugoneki, on Agbor/Benin expressway, the policemen were ambushed by armed men who attempted to snatch the van and the money, but a strong resistance by the policemen saved the money but three of them lost their lives and others sustained injuries and the entire N125 million was returned intact to the bank.

While lamenting that within 100 days in office, he lost 62 of his men to armed robbers, Okiro said that he consequently gave the directive to banks to acquire bullion vans that were bullet, fire and bomb proof within three months but that banks were frustrating the effort.

He disclosed that appeals from banks made him to extend the deadline, but to date, banks were yet to acquire bullion vans but intended to employ the services of Cash In Transit (CIT) companies and had managed to acquire a total of 101.

Okiro warned that this could not continue as, “only today (Tuesday), robbers attacked another bullion van carrying money and killed two policemen accompanying the van.”

He, however, did not give the location where the incident occurred.