Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 9 Command, AIG Echeng Echeng, has said that the Command would not tolerate the two-week sit-at-home order declared by Simon Ekpa.

The AIG, who spoke through the zonal Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bruno Iheanetu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said that allowing the order by a non-state actor meant that the Police had failed.

Iheanetu who spoke exclusively with Vanguard on the heels of the latest order by Ekpa said that the police “cannot swallow such an order”.

He said; “Definitely, the Police will do their work which is to secure lives and property. We cannot ask law-abiding citizens to stay indoors for two weeks because of a sit-at-home order issued by non-state actors.

“Asking citizens to stay at home for two weeks will be a slap on the face of the Nigeria Police. We cannot swallow that.

“If law-abiding citizens are forced to stay indoors for two weeks, that means the Nigeria Police have failed!”

The Zonal PPRO said that the AIG had already summoned a meeting of all the Commissioners of Police under the Command on how to strategically tackle the challenge.

He added that heavy equipment and manpower had been deployed to safeguard the lives and property of residents.

His words; “The AIG has summoned a meeting of all CPs in the zone. Equipment and manpower have been deployed to curb the menace of sit-at-home enforcers and other non-state actors in the zone.

“The CPs have been handed operational orders on how to checkmate the excesses of these non-state actors.

“We have identified the black spots, and we have the nipping points. Manpower and heavy equipment have been deployed to man all the black spots.”

The Police spokesperson said that the aim of the operational orders was to reduce the movement of the non-state actors enforcing sit-at-home orders.

“It’s only when they have free movement that they will unleash mayhem on the people. Heavy equipment and manpower have been deployed to the black spots to reduce their movements.

“We have also increased visibility policing in Abia, Imo and Ebonyi States under Zone 9. The patrol teams we have rolled out are heavily armed to protect law-abiding citizens.”

The PPRO, therefore, warned those behind the sit-at-home order against infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens, as such an attempt will have dear consequences.

He also urged parents to advise their children against taking laws into their hands.