TheCable

Johnson Kokumo, Edo state commissioner of police, has warned that officers will no longer fold their hands and allow criminals to kill them like chickens.

Kokumo said this on Monday during the inauguration of a vigilante group in Ikopaba-Okha local government area (LGA) of the state.

This comes amid recent attacks on police stations, as well as cult-related killings and armed robbery incidents in the state.

Hoodlums had hijacked the #EndSARS protests and attacked police stations and prisons in the state, destroying the facilities and carting away arms and ammunition.

Also, not less than 30 persons have reportedly been murdered in cult-related incidents within the past week.

An assistant commissioner of police and two inspectors were shot in Benin, the Edo capital, during an exchange of gunfire with cult members.

They were said to have run into an ambush by rival cult groups during a “rescue mission” at Upper Sakponba and Murtala Mohammed way areas in the state.

Kokumo, however, charged the officers to police the state without bitterness, despite the attacks on its personnel.

He advised the police to use their arms professionally if their lives are in danger, or while defending others whose lives are being threatened.

“It’s our responsibility to sanitise the state and the inspector general of police has gone ahead with confidence building of the police after the #EndSARS,” he said.

“We will keep talking to our officers not to police with bitterness. But never again will it happen for someone carrying a jack-knife to kill a policeman carrying AK-47.

“The police will no longer fold their hands and die like chicken. I want everyone to take the message home to neighbours and their children.

“Police should use their arms professionally if our lives are in danger or defending others whose lives are facing possible death, and we will have justification to use our arms.”

The CP noted that the police have made a good number of arrests in connection with “all manner of crimes in the state”, adding that the operatives will be on a 24-hour joint patrol with other security agencies in the local government areas.

Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police, had earlier told officers to protect themselves against attacks.

The IGP had said police officers had the right to protect themselves if threatened.