BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

ABUJA—In the aftermath of the terrorists bombings at Sabon Gari, Kano State, which left over 40 persons dead last Tuesday, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has said the attack was a painful reminder that the war against terrorism was not over yet.

Speaking with Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police at a meeting he summoned to reappraise the security situation in the country, the IG said there was need by AIGs and CPs to redouble efforts as crime wave was rising across the country.

His words: “In spite of the emergency rule in Adawawa, Borno and Yobe states, the insurgents still inflict untold hardship on peace loving residents of these states.

“I urge you to pay more attention to this and other incidents of rising crime waves across the country. Daily situation reports bear testimonies to this phenomenon.

“I hasten to add that you must redouble your efforts and restructure the existing crime fighting architecture at your disposal to ensure that the zones, commands and formations under your watch are kept secured.”

He directed the AIGs to collaborate with sister security agencies in their jurisdictions in the war against crime. noting that security was multi-tasking in nature, that a single security agency could not handle alone.

“In the South-East and South-South zones, armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes such as murder, assassination and political upheavals seem to be the order of the day.

“Hardly any day passes without tales of woes of residents being robbed, kidnapped or assassination of political rival.

“Therefore, I charged you to sit up and tackle these menaces and ensure that the ordinary citizens get reprieve from those hell-bent on inflicting anguish and pains on them,” he said.

Advising them to mobilise men under their respective commands to embark on robust intelligence gathering and constant patrol to check crime and insecurity across the country, the IG said the challenges might be daunting but noted that the task of making Nigeria crime free was a mandate that must be pursued with strength.

On the forthcoming Sallah celebration and the elections in Anambra and Ekiti states, the IG disclosed that strategies were being put in place towards ensuring adequate security measures to ensure hitch-free voting exercise.

On the rights of the citizenry, the IG noted that more efforts were being put in place through education and training to ensure that human rights were respected by the Police in dealing with members of the public, adding that husbands who engaged in wife beating and molestation would, henceforth, pay for such battery.