IG Places Police Tactical, Intelligence Units On High Alert For Yuletide Security

The inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the placement of tactical and intelligence units of the Nigeria Police Force on heightened operational readiness to ensure security during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

In a statement issued on Monday force spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin , the police said the directive is part of a proactive nationwide security strategy aimed at preventing crime and guaranteeing peaceful festivities across the country.

According to the statement, Egbetokun directed zonal assistant inspectors-general and state commissioners of police to “intensify patrols, visibility policing, intelligence-led operations and confidence-building engagements” throughout the festive period.

The police said specialised units deployed for the operation include the police mobile force, counter-terrorism unit, explosive ordnance disposal command, intelligence response team, special tactical squad, special intervention squad, highway patrol, marine police and the airwing, all of which have been placed on “heightened operational readiness”.

The deployment, the statement said, will focus on places of worship, recreational centres, markets, parks, event venues, transport terminals, highways, critical national infrastructure and other high-density public spaces.

It added that “additional patrol teams and surveillance units have also been activated to cover inter-state routes and major expressways”.

Egbetokun further directed commands to sustain raids on “identified blackspots, forests, criminal hideouts and flashpoints” and to strengthen collaboration with other security agencies and community stakeholders to ensure comprehensive security coverage.

The inspector-general urged officers deployed for the operation to be “firm but courteous in the discharge of their duties”, while advising citizens to remain vigilant and “report all suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through available emergency lines”.

The police assured Nigerians of their commitment to ensuring that the yuletide season is celebrated “in an atmosphere of peace, safety and security” across the country.