The Nigerian Police Force, NPF, has flagged off an operation codenamed “Operation Harmony” which it said is intended to restore peace to Kafanchan and all other areas of Kaduna State that have witnessed incessant crisis in recent times.
Representing the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, at the event, Habila Joshak, the Deputy Inspector-General, DIG in charge of operations in the NPF, said that the IGP was “concerned by the recent unfortunate sectarian crisis in Kafanchan and neighboring communities in Kaduna state where so many innocent lives were lost and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.”
Joshak stated further that in order to put a final stop to the crisis, the IGP“constituted a Joint Tactical Operation Squad, comprising the Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, Special Anti Robbery Squad, Intelligence Response Team, SIB, EOD, the IGP Monitoring Unit, Police K9 (Sniffer Dog Section), Police Air wing and Police Medical Team with their Headquarters in Kafanchan, which operations will cover the entire Southern Kaduna.”
“I’m here today to flag off this Joint Operations Squad on behalf of the Inspector General of Police to ensure that total peace and normalcy is restored to Kafanchan and environs,” the DIG said.
He assured that the police personnel involved in the operations “will be proactive, work on actionable intelligence and carry out massive deployment and twenty four (24) hours surveillance and patrol, continuous raids of identified criminal hideouts, with a view to arrest promptly trouble makers and their sponsors and nip in the bud violent acts and other criminalities in the general area.”
Joshak added that the squad will cover all the communities, towns, villages, vulnerable points, Government and private infrastructures and facilities in the area.
He also stated that “Police helicopters will embark on guided missions and aerial surveillance of the entire area and will operate in synergy with other Police formations on the ground.”
The DIG Police Operations urged Traditional rulers, religious leaders, public office holders, politicians, opinion leaders, parents and guardians to prevail on their people to support the Police personnel in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He also called on them to “propagate peace, demonstrate love, forgiveness and tolerance in order to promote harmonious coexistence with their brothers and fellow citizens, irrespective of religious, ethnic or political inclinations and differences.”
Joshak assured the people of Southern Kaduna on behalf of the IGP of adequate security and protection of their lives and properties, while urging them to be law abiding and to give peace a chance in their community.