The acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, has approved the deployment of 340 policemen under its “Operation Puff Adder”, for special operations in Kogi to arrest violent crimes in the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Busari, yesterday in Lokoja, inaugurated the squad comprising 340 men and officers selected from Mobile Police Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, and IGP Special Tactical Squad.
Busari said the squad also comprised men of the Explosive Ordinance Department, Special the Anti-Robbery Squad and the IGP Intelligence Response Team.
He said that members of the squad would be complemented by officers and men of the state command, saying that they were deployed to quickly address the insecurity situation on ground.
Busari charged them to appraise the prevailing security situation in the state and design a template to contain it.
He also charged them to identify all criminal syndicates; their leaders, foot soldiers and sponsors with a view to arresting them with operational precision.
“You are to carry out sporadic raids of their houses/homes, hideouts, rendezvous and other tabernacles.
“You must recover arms and ammunition; dangerous weapons, dangerous charms and all other items /properties reasonable suspected to be proceeds of crimes,” he said.
The commissioner of police told the squad members to identify kidnappers’ safe havens, hideouts, warehouses and liberate victims and arrest culprits.
He said that the squad would be deployed for a 24-hour security patrol on major highways in the state, including Lokoja-Abuja, Lokoja-Okene, Lokoja -Objana, and Lokoja – Ajaokuta.
Busari also listed Obajana -Kabba, Okene-Auchi and Ajaokuta-Anyigba-Ankpa as other highways that would come under the heavy security surveillance of the special squad.
He said that a detachment of the squad would be deployed to Bagana and Ogba communities in Omala and Bassa Loval government areas of the state to prevent escalation of communal clashes.
He said that the police would not spare any effort to bring lasting peace to the restive communities and rid them of crimes and criminality.
Credits: Daily Trust
