Yuletide: Police to maintain stop-and-search points, assure residents of safety

The Nigeria Police Force has assured residents of the South East of their safety before, during, and after the festive season.

This reassurance came in response to fears expressed by some citizens regarding the incidents of kidnapping on major highways in the region.

Speaking on Monday, at an end-of-year press briefing organised by the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee under the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, stated that the police had deployed personnel to major highways to prevent such incidents.

He said, “Let me say that we have done strategic deployment, and our deployment across the country is not to intimidate anybody. It is for us to ensure that all our routes, major highways, and communities are safe.”

On the issue of roadblocks, he clarified that no command would erect roadblocks without the consent of the state governor.

He said, “Let me clarify that we don’t have roadblocks in Nigeria; we have stop-and-search points, nipping points, and others. Where you see roadblocks — that zigzag arrangement using logs of wood, drums, and other objects — it must have been at the request of the state governor.

“No command will set up roadblocks without the governor’s consent. In some states, governors have requested or sought the Inspector-General of Police’s permission for such measures.”

Adejobi emphasised that stop-and-search points are currently necessary due to security concerns.

He added, “We will continue to maintain stop-and-search points until we develop a better system where vehicles and travellers can be monitored seamlessly using authorised patrols and cameras.

“But for now, for the safety of our people using these routes, these measures will remain. However, if there are issues with officers at these points, we have rolled out helplines and complaint response platforms. Let us use them.”

Earlier, the Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, disclosed that operatives of the National Park Service arrested no fewer than 621 criminals for various offences between January and October 2024.

Mijinyawa stated that criminals’ use of forests and national parks as hideouts had become a serious national security concern.

He highlighted that parks such as Kamuku, Chad Basin, and Kainji Lake had faced violent incursions, posing threats to park management and surrounding communities.

“Between January and October 2024, the Service made 621 arrests for various offences, prosecuted 466 individuals, and resolved 61 cases out of court, underscoring its commitment to enforcing park regulations and protecting Nigeria’s natural resources,” Mijinyawa said.