#EndSARS: We can’t guarantee security during yuletide – Law enforcement officers

Law enforcement officers in areas worst affected by the #EndSARS protests in the southern part of the country have resolved to continue to stay off their duty posts, especially during the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Rising from a joint meeting of the law enforcement officers weekend, a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, who attended the meeting, told PRNigeria, that Nigerians should rather find a way to protect themselves from thugs, hoodlums and miscreants during the seasonal period.

According to him, the meeting which was attended by officers of the Nigerian military, security, intelligence and response agencies analysed how the violent assaults on innocent security personnel during the #EndSARS protest significantly dampened the morale of many of the servicemen and women.

“In these ember months, and up to Christmas period and the New Year, I doubt if any of the security services can guarantee maximum security as usual. There is no way we can discharge our statutory responsibilities and function when we have become soft targets of miscreants and violent persons,” he said.

The DPO further said he would not allow any of his officers and men to be drafted to life-threatening beats and assignments during the period. He added: “Our destroyed facilities are yet to be reconstructed and rehabilitated; our looted armouries are yet to be restocked and when our men and women are yet to get over the humiliation of the atrocities committed on them by the same people we are charged to protect, how can we return to our duty post?”

In the aftermath of the #EndSARS nationwide demonstrations, which turned violent and led to the loss of lives, including that of police personnel, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, on Friday, directed men of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, to, henceforth, protect themselves against any attack by hoodlums.