The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, has charged police operatives in Delta to step up the fight against the criminal activities of the separatist group IPOB.

“In fighting crime, you may be trying your best, but your best is not good enough because anything that happens in Anambra will affect Delta, especially Asaba,” said the police chief. “You have to step up the fight, that is why you must prepare to deal with any criminality, especially the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).”

He urged the police command in Delta to deal with IPOB members as they would criminals.

“Brace up to the challenge posed by IPOB because it is a proscribed organisation, and you have to treat them as such,” added Mr Alkali.

Mr Alkali, who gave the charge on Monday in Asaba during his familiarisation visit to the state, said the socio-cultural complexity of Delta made it prone to crimes.

The inspector general assured the command that the police high command would provide police officers with logistics, including bullet-proof vests, teargas, and helmets.

The police commissioner in Delta, Mohammed Ali, briefed Mr Alkali on the shortage of police officers in the command, especially in marine policing.

Mr Ali further stated that the command had arrested more than 912 cultists, 217 armed robbers,194 kidnappers, 94 murders, and rescued 87 kidnapped victims.

The police commissioner also disclosed that the command seized 253 guns and 8,756 ammunition from “criminal elements.”

(NAN)