TheCable

Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, has warned all police unit commanders against flouting the order to withdraw personnel from VIPs as well as political and public office holders.

The IGP gave the warning at a meeting with the police mobile force (PMF), special protection unit (SPU) and counter-terrorism unit (CTU) commanders in Abuja on Tuesday.

Idris on Monday ordered the withdrawal of the personnel from the group of persons which also included business entrepreneurs and those in multinational companies.

The police IG said any commander that violates the order would be heavily sanctioned.

“Sanction awaits any officer who violates the order to withdraw personnel from the above-mentioned persons,” he said.

“We want to ensure absolute withdrawal of personnel this time around, any violation will be met with stiffer sanction.”

He said CTU personnel were not meant to be deployed to any individual or organisations because of their critical role in the force.

Idris, who gave Tuesday as the deadline for the withdrawal, said the primary responsibility of the police was to provide security to all citizens.

“We must face and surmount the security challenges confronting us by all means,” he said.

He described the frequent attacks on police personnel in the course of their duty in the country as alarming.

He, however, blamed some of the incidents on police personnel who were not at alert while on duty.