The police commissioner in Anambra, Aderemi Adeoye, has pledged to provide appropriate security across the state to ensure peaceful and serene Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Mr Adeoye gave the assurance in an interview on Monday.

He noted that though the security situation in Anambra at the moment was calm, the police would ensure that criminals do not exploit the situation to disrupt the peace of Anambra.

Mr Adeoye said, “Measures on the ground are adequate to guarantee the safety and security of everyone in Anambra; we are good to go. The people of Anambra will enjoy a peaceful Christmas and prosperous new year celebrations.

“We will continue to fine-tune our strategy and deployment policy to ensure we are several steps ahead of those who are on the other side of the law. As a command, our aim is to provide adequate security for everyone to carry out their legitimate businesses and to live without let or hindrance or harassment.”

According to him, police operatives are well-motivated and have high morale to carry out their responsibilities.

“The enthusiasm is unprecedented, so I do not foresee any situation that will be beyond them to handle,” added the police commissioner.

Mr Adeoye said the command would provide general security and protection for vulnerable and exposed persons.

“The manpower situation can be better, but we will make do with what we have, and for general security, we have enough manpower. It is when individuals want a battalion to escort or guard their houses that we have a challenge,” the police chief explained. “Insecurity in the South-East is peculiar; we have an insurgency going on even though it has been controlled to an extent, so the idea of not protecting VIPs does not arise.”

Mr Adeoye explained that the inspector general of police did not stop the protection of VIPs but that such protection would not be by the police mobile force police trained for riot control, ensuring order and managing conflicts, stressing that it would be disastrous to leave those who are exposed and vulnerable to the whims and caprices of armed hoodlums.

“We have elements in the force like the special protection unit and men in the department of operation who are suited for the protection of VIPs, but the VIPs must be real VIPs,” stated the police boss in Anambra.

He added, “Normally, everybody regards himself, and I respect that. That is why everyone has to be protected, but individualised protection is what we may not be able to accommodate at this time.”

(NAN)