Yuletide: Police deploy personnel to ensure hitch-free festivities in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command on Monday assured the people of the state of its readiness to perform its statutory responsibility of protecting their lives and properties with a view to ensuring hitch-free Christmas and New Year celebrations across the state.

The assurance was given in a press release signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, made available to DAILY POST in Bauchi.

To ensure hitch-free festivities, Wakil, a Superintendent of Police (SP), informed that the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Mamman Sanda, had ordered the deployment of officers and men, comprising conventional police and other tactical teams as well as necessary logistics to all churches and venues of events in the state.

“In view of the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations coming up on 25/12/2021 and 01/01/2022 respectively, the Bauchi State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Umar Mamman Sanda wishes to assure the good people of the state of its readiness to perform its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and properties of all citizens during the celebration.

“The Command will collaborate with sister security agencies and all critical stakeholders to ensure that, the celebration is peaceful and hitch-free.

“To this end, therefore, the Commissioner of Police has ordered the deployment of officers and men comprising conventional police and other tactical teams of the command as well as necessary logistics to all churches and venues of events in the state,” the police spokesman stated.

According to him, “personnel deployed for this critical assignment are under the strict instruction of the Commissioner of Police to be civil but firm in the discharge of their duties.”

The PPRO further stated that the ban on the use of fireworks, bangers and other explosives during festivities was still in force.

He, however, warned that those planning to foment troubles during the festive period and afterward would be dealt with.

In Wakil’s words, “the command is prepared to deal with hoodlums and other disgruntled elements that may attempt to cause break down of law and order before, during and after the festive period.”

While expressing CP Sanda’s felicitations with Christian faithful and other citizens of the state on the occasion of Christmas and New Year celebrations, the PPRO enjoined people of the state “to cooperate with police and other security agencies in their efforts towards ensuring peaceful celebrations and report any suspicious person or object to the nearest police station or call the command emergency phone number 08151849417”.