TIGHT SECURITY FOR TOMORROW’S CHRISTMAS
Tricycle Operations Suspended in Plateau 9,500 Policemen to Patrol Nasarawa, Kwara Commuters Stranded As Motorists Hike Fares Due to Fuel Scarcity Buhari Promises Better Days Ahead
Security and fuel scarcity will be the two main issues as Nigerians join Christians worldwide to celebrate Christmas tomorrow. With crippling fuel scarcity keeping motorists at filling stations for endless hours, plans are underway to provide adequate security during the festive seasons.
Checks by Daily Trust on Sunday show that security agencies across the country were putting measures in place to ensure a hitch-free Christmas celebration. Some of the measures, it was gathered, include deployment of policemen and anti-bomb units to places of worship and strategic locations.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, has ordered a comprehensive operational strategy to beef-up security nationwide during the Christmas and New Year.
A statement by the Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, in Abuja on Friday, said Idris directed all Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspectors General of Police to ensure adequate security of lives and property of Nigerians.
He said the police boss also directed all Commanders of Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) to comply with the safety order.
Moshood added that Special Forces and specialized units of the Force, including Special Tactical Squad, Special Protection Unit, Border Patrol and Explosive Ordinance Department have been mobilised across the country.
“Police Federal Highway Patrol Teams, Safer Highway and Divisional Patrol Teams have been mandated and are under strict instruction to be polite, civil but strict in ensuring security and safety of travelers and other road users,” he said.
The spokesman said that Idris has equally directed the Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Commissioners of Police to ensure that no roadblock was mounted in the country.
“The personnel of the force will be on 24 hours round-the-clock surveillance and robust vehicular patrols throughout the Yuletide and the New Year,” he said.
He said adequate deployment would be carried out in places of worship and venues of celebration, including strategic public places, recreation centres, shopping malls, business plazas and motor parks.
The police boss called on Nigerians to provide useful information to the personnel of the Force deployed in their localities.
Tight security for yuletide season Across the federation, this directive is being complied with, with various states making local arrangements to cater to their peculiar security needs.
In Plateau State, security operatives in the state under the auspices of Operation Safe Haven, aside from a show of force to scare of any intending criminals has announced a ban on tricycle (Keke NAPEP) operations on December 25, 26 and January 1st.
Major Adam Umar, spokesman for the taskforce warned that as part of its security measures, it will arrest any person using fire crackers and warned that worshippers will be screened and searched in churches by security operatives.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the taskforce’s patrol vehicles have been stationed in major areas around Jos and Bukuru metropolis.
However, the Plateau State police command also said it was working with other security agents in the state to ensure a hitchfree celebration throughout the Yuletide. The Police spokesman, ASP Tyopev Terna, stated that watertight security measures have been put in place and police patrol vehicles have equally been positioned at strategic areas with a view to responding promptly to distress calls round the clock.
In Sokoto State, the police command said that it had deployed anti-bomb squads and security personnel to churches and other places of interest in the state with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state deploying 700 personnel to the nooks and crannies of the state.
In separate interviews with our reporter the two agencies assured the public of adequate security throughout the festive periods.
The Spokesman of the Police, ASP Ibrahim Abaras warned that the police would not spare anybody found breaching law and order in the state while appealing to the public to report any suspicious movement to the nearest police station.
In a related development, the Department of State Security has summoned religious leaders and urged them to caution their followers against formenting trouble during the celebrations.
In an interview with our Reporter, an Assistant Director, Tijjani Fage said plain clothed personnel were stationed across the state, especially places suspected to be black spots.
The Nasarawa State Police Command on its part has deployed 5,000 personnel to strategic areas across the 13 local government areas to ensure a hitch-free Christmas and new year celebration in the state.
While making this announcement, the state police commissioner, Bello Ahmed, revealed that the police has arrested Mohammed Idris, 35, for child theft.
CP Ahmed said the suspect was arrested at the premises of Tudun Wada Primary School, Goshen City, while negotiating the sale of a 12 year-old boy, Koje Obasanjo, who hails from Sabon Gora area of Uke to an undercover buyer.
The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are completed, he said.
About 3, 000 police men will provide security to places of worship in Katsina State, Police Commissioner Besen Gwana has said.
Gwana said the command will liaise with other security agencies during the exercise and urged residents to be vigilant and report all suspicious movements to the authorities.
He also warned against the use of fire crackers during the festivities.
Not to be left behind, the National Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC will deploy about 11, 000 personnel in the six South-West states for the celebrations.
The NSCDC Zone F Command disclosed this in a statement signed by the spokesman, Kareem Olanrewaju, yesterday, saying the bulk of the deployment, which is about 7,120 was meant to cover Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states while the remaining 4,108 will be distributed in Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun state commands.
“Members of the public are as such implored, to monitor their children especially outside their homes and take care of their personal belongings. They can call on 08084732053 or 08050726803 when they are in danger or notice any suspicious movement,” he said.
Motorists hike fares as fuel scarcity bites, commuters stranded
Reports from our correspondents show that huge numbers of commuters have been stranded in various motor parks as vehicles are hard to come by as a result of fuel scarcity across the country.
The scarcity has caused transport operators to hike prices, in some places by as much as 200 per cent.
Lagos to Ibadan, which used to cost N1000 to 1,200 was N3,000 yesterday while Lagos to Ilorin fare was at N5000 as against N2,000 which was the fixed fare before the fuel scarcity.
A driver at Berger Park, Mr. Shittu Agbaje told our correspondent that the scarcity was responsible for the hike.
Despite the hike, passengers are seen waiting for vehicles to transport them to their destinations.
Mrs. Sidikat Aro, traveling to Ilorin, told our correspondent that she arrived the park three hours before and she was still not sure when the vehicle would arrive.
In a survey by Daily Trust on Sunday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State yesterday evening, one litre of fuel sold at N250 or N270 and while in rural areas in the state, the price has gone as high as N320.
Eric Nnamdi, a motorist said, “Yesterday, l bought fuel at the rate of 190 per litre at one of the filling stations along Enugu-Abakaliki highway but today same filling station sold same product to motorists at the rate of N210.”
This, our correspondent reports, has forced transport fares up by as much as 100 per cent.
The same situation is reported by our correspondent in Ibadan, Oyo State with a litre of petrol selling for between N200 and N250 with many bus stops within the city flooded with commuters who were stranded as they waited endlessly to no avail.
Many filling stations that were partially selling the product on Thursday and Friday were under lock when our correspondent visited them on Saturday while the few selling did so at between N200 and N250.
Similar price hike has been reported by our correspondents in Kogi forcing transport fare by as much as 50 per cent.
A driver in Lokoja, Mr Adekunle Olalekan, said it was most unfortunate for Nigerians to experience this situation at a festive season when most people were travelling to celebrate with their families.
Our correspondents in Port Harcourt, Makurdi, and Bauchi report massive hikes in fuel price and transportations challenges in their states that are dampening the pre-festive moods.
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to address the fuel scarcity in the country and restore normalcy in the supply and distribution of petroleum products.
The ACF in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu said the present situation is worrisome and calls into question the management practices of the supply of fuel.
He said as most petrol stations remain closed due to non-availability of the products, the black markets have continued to flourish by selling the petroleum products at exorbitant prices and urged the NNPC to investigate possible sabotage.
The forum in the statement said as the 25th December commemorates the birthday of Jesus Christ it behoves on all to live up to what Jesus represents which it said include tolerance and love of the neighbor that comes with core value of humanity.
“ACF calls on our leaders especially politicians to make the best use of the mandates given to them by the electorate to establish a society free of injustice, corruption and other vices that have continued to slow down our socioeconomic and political development” the forum stated.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government has no plans of increasing the official pump price of petrol of N145 per litre.
Mustapha said this yesterday in Lokoja while fielding questions from journalists shortly after handing over to the new Acting Managing Director of the National Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA), Bar. Danladi Ibrahim.
He said the current fuel crisis being witnessed across the country was due to activities of unpatriotic marketers who are hoarding the products to create artificial scarcity in order to make undue gains during this yuletide season.
The SGF noted the Department of Petroleum Resources has been monitoring the situation to ensure that products supplied to independent marketers are dispensed to the public, adding that good number of defaulting filling stations have been sanctioned in recent times.
Mustapha, while sympathising with Nigerians, expressed optimism that the situation would normalise in no distant time.