ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) has said that infringements by some Policemen on Nigerians should not drive society against them.
He stated this at a Town Hall meeting on security issues tagged: Engaging the Youth and Communities, organized by the Bauchi State government at the instance of the Federal Government which held on Monday at the Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall Complex, Bauchi.
Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said that despite the brutality by some members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Nigerians must learn to live with them because they are out to protect their lives and properties.
He said that he publicly acknowledged all the concerns and interests of members of the public, the excessive use of force by members of SARS and thereafter accepted all the demands and proceeded to scrap SARS and has since gone ahead to start addressing other demands.
He said: “I will like to ask people to please know that when the Police were doing this, they were doing this to keep the peace in the society, if a few of them went overboard, I think we should be able to live with this.
“We cannot function effectively without the Police, and I think the few infringements by some of them shouldn’t drive the society to be against them. Please, let us embrace the Police and create the admosphere that they will be able to do their best for us.
“When the demand by the #EndSARS rioters started, immediately the government looked into it and saw that they had a point, probably without supervision, the Police had gone beyond the pay, and immediately, all the demands were accepted and SARS was ended.”
The President expressed his gratitude to the youth in Bauchi for the maturity they displayed and “for their resistance against being misguided wether it is by some people outside or by social media in responding to national challenges such as the recent unfortunate and unnecessary #EndsARS protests.”
He added that though the genuine aspects of the grievances were promptly addressed, it somehow led into avoidable loss of lives and property in some parts of the country.
In his speech, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed who chaired the Town Hall meeting said currently, security agencies are conducting a joint patrol for the maintenance of peace in the state especially in troubled areas or places where disturbances occur.
” On our part as a Government, we have been making our determined effort to maintain peace, law and order in the State. We have jump-started the implementation of the Nigerian Police Community Policing with aim of strengthening the internal security management in the State.”
” I find this medium very relevant to stand tall and tell the word that I am indeed proud of our youths going by the quality that is evident in them, the strength they display and course, the sincerely of purpose associated with them in many respects,” he said.
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