The police lamented the loss of their men but have assured that there will be no reprisal.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday held an emergency meeting with heads of security agencies to review the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria.
The meeting discussed the murder of scores of security officials in Nasarawa State and in Bama, Borno State.
The agencies are reported to have assured the president that there will be no reprisal attacks by their officials.
The meeting which lasted for about two and half hours was attended by the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; Chief of Defence staff, Ola Ibrahim; the Chief of Naval Staff, Dele Ezeoba; the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar; and the Director General of the State Security Service, Ita Ekpenyong. The Chief of Army staff was represented by Emmanuel Bassey, Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters.
While answering questions from journalists after the meeting at the State House, the Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, said although the massacre of those who protect lives was indeed sad, government was assuring that there will be no reprisal attacks.
“It is sad that those who are protecting lives and property are becoming the targets of various insurgents and criminality be it political or otherwise.
“The security agencies particularly the police will not want to go and revenge; it is not going to help us because they are supposed to protect lives and property. Going to revenge will not douse tension and will bring about lack of confidence in the system. So, we will strictly discourage that,” Mr. Olubolade said.
He said that although the support of the President for the police had recently increased, their challenges had also increased.
“What is important now is to re-strategise and empower them (the police) the more. Besides that, if there are other avenues that we make us not to grow criminals, the government will have to look into that. The issue of creating employment and other aspects,” he said.
Responding to the allegations that the police had struck first by killing nine of the cultists, he said that the police were performing their duty.
“The police will not just wake up and pick their (militant) leaders if nothing has gone wrong. The populace must know that anybody can be brought in by the police for interrogation depending on the intelligence the police get and that is what happens elsewhere,” he said.
Mr. Olublade also said only President Jonathan had the discretion to call for a State of Emergency in any state; following calls in some quarters that a state of emergency be declared in Nasarawa and Borno.
“That is not within my purvey, they have the right to call for whatever they want. At the end of the day, the President will take a decision,” he said.
The minister also expressed the federal government’s reservations about the U.S. warning that the worsening insecurity could destabilise the country if not checked.
“News report from outside Nigeria sometimes can be misleading,” he said. “So, we must not rely completely on that because often times (when) they get information even from our own people, they multiply it and exaggerate it to suit themselves.”
“So, what is important is for us to look inwards as Nigerians, work together; our people should give information to the security agencies who in turn will protect them.”
Source: Premium Times
