Boko Haram: Police deploy 2,000 officers in north-east

The police have deployed 2,000 officers in the north-east to combat the Boko Haram insurgency.

Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, said the deployment is in line with section 4 of the police act.

Moshood said the development would give strength to the military which is already combating the insurgency.

“The inspector-general of police (IGP) has deployed additional 2,000 Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Counter Terrorism Units (CTU) personnel of the force and the sniffer dog sections to the north-east in the last few days for purely military duties to fight Boko Haram insurgency under the Operation Lafiya Dole,” he said.

“This new deployment is consistent with section 4 of the police act and Regulations which specifies the general duties of the Nigeria Police Force as follows: ‘The police shall be employed for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by or under the authority of this or any other act’.”

Moshood said before now, 47 PMF units were deployed in Borno in addition to the PMF squadron already in the state.

“Twenty-six units on ground in Yobe state in addition to the PMF squadron in Yobe state. Eighteen units on ground in Adamawa state in addition to the PMF squadron in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The Counter Terrorism Units of the force has deployments of over 1,250 specially trained Counter Terrorism Police personnel. The police anti-bomb squad has about 300 personnel while over a hundred sniffer dogs are working with the military in the fight against Insurgency in the north-east.

“It is of significant note that the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Personnel, Counter Terrorism Units (CTU), Anti-Bomb Squad (EOD), Sniffer Dog Sections, the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and conventional Police personnel have being fighting along with the Military in the front line against Boko Haram insurgency and also providing security for restoration of law and order in the north-east, security for all the liberated towns and villages in the north-east, escort of foreign and local humanitarian workers and relief materials, protection of IDP camps and security of public and private infrastructures.”

The spokesman said the surveillance helicopters of the police have also been deployed to assist the military.