21st September, 2012
Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has ordered all state Commissioners of Police to enforce the ban on the use of siren by unauthorised persons.
Abubakar, who gave the order after inaugurating 50 patrol vehicles for the police, directed them to henceforth arrest and prosecute any unauthorised persons found using it.
According to him, the persons authorised to use the siren include the president and his vice, governors and their deputies, the senate president and deputy, the IG, service chiefs and first class traditional rulers.
“We have noticed the serious abuse of the use of siren in this country. Those who use siren are officials of government only and when you come to Abuja, there is a certain number of people allowed to use the siren.
“Therefore, all commissioners of police are hereby directed to check the abuse of the use of siren on our highways,’’ he said.
Abubakar decried a situation where some companies and banks used siren, adding that they had no authority and right to use them.
Of the 50 vehicles unveiled, Abubakar said 40 of them be deployed for border patrol to checkmate the activities of criminals who took advantage of the country’s porous borders to perpetuate crimes and bring in small arms.
The other 10 should be deployed to the highways to ensure that they were adequately policed, he added.
Abubakar had on Aug. 29 inaugurated 40 “Light Armoured’’ patrol vehicles and gave an assurance that more of such vehicles would be acquired and deployed to fight crimes on highways (NAN)