Checkpoints’ withdrawal will restore police mandate – IGP

The inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Tuesday said the withdrawal of military checkpoints will restore the police mandate of ensuring internal security.

Arase also disclosed that force top hierarchy has concluded arrangements on dress code for the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the police.

The IGP spoke during a meeting with Commissioners of Police in Abuja.

He said: “The withdrawal of the military should not create any fear in the minds of Nigerians, we have done it before and we are going to do it again. We have about 555 vehicles on the highway nationwide, each state has about 15 vehicles to man the highway.

“Besides that, prior to this time, most of the states had about 20 vehicles each. They are not sufficient but what we have now should do to ensure that we are able to secure the highway space.

“Constitutionally, other security agents have the responsibility to also complement the efforts of the NPF, asking us to take over the responsibility of the roadblocks which originally was supposed to be our turf will not create any vacuum.

“Nigerians I believe will not want to listen to excuses from us and we have opportunity now to take over our mandate of securing the internal security space.”

On the proposed dress code for SARS, the IGP said: “We have discussed it extensively in management and we have agreed that there should be a dress code for all our SARS so that they would be identified with it.

“We are trying to get some designs and the DIG in charge of logistics is expected to bring that up to management for approval and once that is done, we will unveil it and everybody will know the dress code for SARS operatives nationwide.”

Checkpoints’ withdrawal will restore police mandate – IGP