BEVERLY HILLS, May 13, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Police Force has ordered an immediate suspension of its personnel from escorting VIPs in the five South East states and Rivers.
The directive, contained in a police wireless message, noted that the suspension of the escort personnel “is sequel to the incessant attacks on policemen/snatching of arms and ammunition by the proscribed IPOB/ESN elements in the affected states.”
The wireless message, issued by the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, and addressed to personnel with reference number CB: 0900/DTS/DOPS/VOL.47/812X, and dated “101054/05/2021”, advised officers and men not to escort VIPs to Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states until the security situation improves in the affected states.
The police copied the Chief Security Officer, Government House; Chief Superintendent of Police, Department of Operations, Delta Oil Producing Areas Development Commission; Delta House of Assembly; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) annexe, among others.
It read: “Sequel to the incessant attacks on policemen/snatching of arms and ammunition by the proscribed IPOB/ESN elements in the eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states and Rivers , COMPOL DOPS directs you warn personnel that escorts of their principals to the five (5) eastern states and Rivers is suspended forthwith until security situation improves. Ensure strict compliance please.”
When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, explained that the directive originated from Delta State Command and was issued on the authority of the Commissioner of Police in Delta.
He added that it was meant to “protect the policemen and the VIPs involved from attacks by IPOB/ESN members.”
He said: “The signal did not come from Force Headquarters, so it is not a nationwide directive.
“Any reasonable person will understand that this is a very good directive. The Commissioner of Police acted within his powers and he gave the directives to cure certain mischief.”
Mba added that the CPs had the powers to give such directives as they must have analysed the security situations in their states, adding that the directive was temporary until the security situation improved in the concerned states.
The police had accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being behind the April 5 attack on the Imo Police Command.
Mba had said in a statement after the attack: “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons such as general-purpose machine guns (GPMGs), sub-machine guns (SMGs), AK49 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), improvised explosive devices (IEDs), are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN).”
IPOB had always denied killing security agents, saying it remained committed to the non-violent actualisation of Biafra.
Many police stations have come under attacks and many policemen killed.
Last weekend, gunmen killed no fewer than 12 policemen in five attacks across Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
Also last week, gunmen killed two police inspectors in Obosi police station, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, and a policeman in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
There have been other attacks on security operatives and formations in the South-East and parts of South-South zones by gunmen
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