The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Muhammed Adamu, on Tuesday visited Lagos to commiserate with the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over wanton destruction in the state by hoodlums, following series of protest by the youths against brutalities by men and officers of disbanded SARS, an arm of the Nigerian police.
Adamu, while commiserating with Sanwo-Olu over the destruction of public and private properties running into billions of naira coupled with the loss of lives, among others, also urged policemen not to be discouraged as a result of attacks on them and police stations across the state
The IGP, while addressing pressmen at the State House, Marina, after visiting the governor, said the policemen should see what happened to them as part of the risks inherent in the job.
Adamu, who admitted the morale of men of Nigeria police was down, and Lagos being the epicentre where the incidents took place, further encouraged them not to be demoralised by the ugly incident, from performing their constitutional duties of protecting lives and property.
“Lagos seems to be the epicentre where the incidents took place. The amount of destruction is more in Lagos than any other state. I am here to commiserate with the governor of Lagos State and the people of the state on the amount of destruction to public property and private businesses.
“My visit is also to see the police stations that were destroyed and talk to officers and men of the Nigerian Police and encourage them not to be demoralised by events that took place where they were attacked and police stations destroyed,” he said.
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“They are specially trained to take this kind of risks because, by the nature of police job, they are exposed to this type of risk. Now that this has happened, it shouldn’t discourage us from performing our constitutional duties.
“The morale of some of them have been dampened so the visit is to encourage them not to to be discouraged but come out to protect lives and property,” he added.
The police chief, while noting that besides the police stations, private businesses were destroyed, including the palace of Oba of Lagos, urged the citizens to set up a protocol any time they wanted to undertake a peaceful protest, saying this was important in order not to allow miscreants hijack the exercise.
According to him, the moment miscreants are allowed to hijack the protest, its intent will be defeated as in the case of the last peaceful protest witnessed in the state, declaring: “No nation will be able to bear the loss as we see in Lagos, even it will take a long time.”
“Apart from the police stations destroyed, private businesses were destroyed even the palace of Oba of Lagos was destroyed. I would urge the citizens any time you want to undertake a peaceful protest, it’s important to set up a protocol in order not to allow miscreants to hijack the protest. The moment you allowed that the intent of the protest will be defeated as in the case of this peaceful protest we witnessed,” the police chief said.
