BARRING unforeseen circumstances, some far-reaching security measures may be stepped up from this week in a renewed move by the police to tighten security in the country.
Top police chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police are to meet in Abuja tomorrow to review the security situation in the country and come up with more proactive measures.
Already, the police have thrown a security cordon nationwide as a prelude to the introduction of more radical measures.
It was learnt that the authorities were worried by the threats of reprisals, following the recent violence in Plateau State in which hundreds of lives were lost.
Officials were also seriously concerned about the apparent proliferation of small arms in unauthorised hands and the rising wave of banditry.
Consequently, the IG, Mr. Mike Okiro, has summoned all Commissioners of Police in the states for the special meeting in Abuja on Monday.
Soldiers and other law enforcement agents on Friday stepped up security in Kaduna, Jos and Zaria as some Muslim youths staged protests because of the ongoing Israeli-Hamas’ conflict in the Middle East.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the meeting scheduled for Monday.
Ojukwu, who said the Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Lame, was expected to attend the meeting, however, declined to give further details.
”I can only confirm that there is a very crucial meeting. All the Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are coming, but I cannot disclose the agenda of the meeting.
”All that I can say is that there will be a comprehensive review of anti-crime efforts across the federation and the IGP intends to discuss his vision to chart a way forward,” Ojukwu stated.
But a source at the Louis Edet House police headquarters in Abuja, told our correspondent that the meeting followed intelligence report on alleged discreet moves by some persons to foment trouble following the recent bloody clash in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
The source said the security chiefs would preoccupy themselves with taking appropriate measures to check such unscrupulous persons.
They are also expected to come up with strategies to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons and rising wave of armed robberies in the country, as well as to fine-tune the proposed Strategic Crime Control Plan for Kaduna, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Onitsha, Maiduguri and Abuja.
”You may recall that the FCT Commissioner of Police recently spoke of a red alert sent by the IG to all police commands in the federation because of a potent threat to peace and security being stimulated as a result of the November 2008 crisis in Jos.
”The resolve of the Police to frontally confront criminal activities will be complemented with strategies during the brainstorming sessions with the CPs,” the source stated.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr. Stephen Ekpei, has disclosed figures of arrests and illegal arms seized in 2008.
Ekpei said between January 2008 and now, the police in FCT arrested 269 armed robbers, recovered 193 illegal rifles and pistols and 8, 240 rounds of ammunition, while 242 snatched or stolen vehicles were recovered.
He also said 29 armed robbers were killed by policemen during shoot-outs in various parts of the FCT, while a police officer was severely injured by robbers and 69 bandits were charged to court during the period.
But the Force PPRO, Mr. Ojukwu stated that the IG, intended to release comprehensive national crime statistics collated from various states during the meeting on Monday.