Inspector-General of Police has directed the mobilisation and deployment of Police Mobile Force (PMF) across the country to reinforce security in the State Commands that MASSOB and IPOB are currently attempting to utilise as launching pad for their sinister intentions.

 

The Assistant Inspectors – General of Police Zone 5, (Benin); Zone 6, (Calabar) and Zone 9 (Umuahia) as well as all Commissioners of Police in the affected States in the South East and neigbouring States have also been directed to henceforth maximally exercise their statutory mandate in relation to prevention and disruption of any gathering that threatens public order and national cohesion. Any person or group of persons so arrested in furtherance to the enforcement of this order will be made to face the full wrath of the law, PMnews reports.

 

This comes after he issued a stern warning to the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) activists to stop threatening public peace or face the full weight of the law. The warning followed the observation by the Nigeria Police Force leadership of the increasing resort to acts of brigandage by sets of misguided individuals who apparently are threatening national security and public peace in parts of South East geopolitical Zone and some other conterminous States.

 

The Police PRO, Olabisi Kolawole had earlier said that the action of the protesters are causing hardship for the people.

 

“The latest manifestation of this threat is the attempt to blockade the Onitsha end of Niger Bridge on 1st December, 2015, an action that caused major hardship to innocent and law abiding motorists, and citizens. The act also occasioned serious dislocation of business activities,” Kolawole said in a statement.

 

The Inspector-General of Police advises parents and guardians to call their children and wards to order as the patience of the Force is being stretched to the limit. He firmly affirmed that no individual or group interest can override the interest of the nation and that democratic values provide for exploration of rule of law to advance any concern, not the resort to endless and misguided acts of brigandage, unless there is an ulterior motive as the extant instance tends to dictate.

 

He concluded by asserting that the Nigeria Police Force will not fold its law enforcement arms to allow few misguided elements to continually force hardships on fellow Nigerians either in the South East or any other part of the nation for that matter.

 

Many are yet to see how far this will go as the government has been advised against the use of force in quelling the agitation. Some have advocated a peaceful talk and use of referendum as the only alternative considering that most of the protesters are exercising their fundamental human rights. It is also the view of many that the use of force is undemocratic and will surely backfire as the international community watch the unfolding event.

 

It would be recalled that former governor of Zamfara state and a serving senator of the federal republic of Nigeria had earlier advised the government on what step to follow in order to end the agitation. How far the police will go on this is yet to be seen.