Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu has urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu to find and bring to justice the officers who killed some innocent Nigerians in the course of enforcing the coronavirus lockdown order.
The call followed incessant reports of such killings in the south-east especially Abia State where a fuel pump attendant in a certain filling station was gunned down recently by a policeman.
Okechukwu who made the appeal while making a donation of food items as palliatives to his constituents in Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency of Enugu State on Monday said incidents of violence and agitations had been rife in various parts of the country.
He said: “I have also noted the incidents of violence and agitations that have come up in various parts as a result of the overzealousness of some security personnel. While I appeal to Nigerians to be at peace with one another as we collectively fight this invisible enemy, COVID-19, I must caution that times like these demand extreme caution and civility in enforcing compliance with any government regulations and guidelines.
“I call on the Inspector General of Police and heads of various security agencies to step up their game, ensuring that field commanders are appropriately and regularly briefed on rules of engagement and regulations guiding security-public relationship in the present circumstances. Importantly, they must fish out the trigger-happy officers and bring them to book without further delays”.
Okechukwu also commended the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, health workers, and various tiers of government for their efforts at managing and containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The leader specially commended the Government of Enugu State for managing the pandemic, and called on the NCDC and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to “escalate testing by ensuring that every state of the Federation has at least one testing centre”.
“I commend in a special way the Government of Enugu State for painstakingly implementing wide-ranging measures and policies that address the peculiarities of our State in the face of this pandemic and call on well-meaning citizens of Enugu State to support government’s efforts by not only ensuring compliance and but also by being their brothers’ keeper.
My widow’s mite is meant for the most vulnerable amongst us and I am also calling on fellow constituents and indeed all Nigerians, to support the less privileged at these trying times with anything they can afford”, the leader said
