IG withdrawals police escorts from individuals, firms

Mohammed Abubakar emphasised the need to restore professionalism and integrity to all police duties.
The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, on Monday, in Abuja ordered the withdrawal of all police officers posted as guards to companies and individuals across the country.
He also ordered that all intra-state and highway checkpoints be dismantled and brought under the original structures recognised by police standards saying such constituted nuisance especially on the Lagos express road, Edo and South-Eastern states.
Abubakar said the directive was aimed at restoring professionalism, efficiency and integrity in the performance of police duties. He said the withdrawal would ensure service delivery to the people adding that over 100, 000 police officers attached to individuals and corporate organisations as guards.
Abubakar’s predecessors had issued the same directives on assuming office, but was never executed as police officers remained on guard for firms as well as politicians.
By law, only the President, Vice-President, state governors, local government chairmen, magistrates and judges were entitled to police guards, but the privilege was however abused by senior police officers in charge of police commands and formations who assign junior officers to individual.
While addressing Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of operations and Criminal Investigation Departments of all zonal and state commands in Abuja, Abubakar emphasised the need to restore professionalism and integrity to all police duties.
He ordered the immediate release of all unlawfully detained persons in police cells and reiterated his directive that no person should be detained beyond 24 hours, except permitted by law.
“All squads, teams or any other investigating outfit operating under whatever name are hereby dismantled with immediate effect and they are to be under the original structures recognised by police standards,'' Abubakar said.
“All intra-state and highway road blocks which constitute nuisance especially on the roads of Lagos, Edo and South-Eastern states should also be dismantled immediately''.