The Police in Plateau State have debunked allegations of plans by some unidentified groups to bomb some public places in Jos and its environs during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, told journalists in Jos yesterday that the rumour to that effect was baseless and unsubstantiated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that a text being circulated within Jos metropolis had listed some worship centres and government buildings as targets of bomb explosions during Christmas, a rumour that has instilled fears into the minds of some residents, many of whom are already travelling outside the state for fear of possible explosions during the festivities.
“Some people indulge in the act of spreading rumours on security issue in the state. This trend can create panic and unnecessary tension among members of the public.
“The police are urging members of the public to refrain from rumour mongering and should always confirm all issues from the appropriate authority before spreading them,” Ayeni said.
The police commissioner warned that the command would not hesitate to arrest those who were fond of peddling rumours with the aim of causing confusion.
Ayeni said that the state government had restricted operations of beer parlours, drinking joints and hotels that sold alcohol to 10pm as part of the initiative to checkmate the trend of bomb explosions.
“This is a security strategy to check the activities of the criminals who use such places to plan their criminal operations,” he said.
He advised parents to warn their children and ward from firing fireworks, reminding them that the ban on it was still in force.
According to him, the police and other security agencies will arrest and prosecute any person who flouts the order, no matter how highly placed.
Ayeni also said that the command had discovered that most of the commercial motorcyclists operating in the state did not register their motorcycles, pointing out that their operations were aiding criminal activities.
“From now on, anybody who uses an unregistered motorcycle will be arrested and prosecuted because the intelligence report available to us shows that most of the crimes being committed in Plateau State are done with unregistered motorcycles,” he said.