Police begin anti-terrorism campaign in Abia

The Abia Police Command has commenced an anti-terrorism campaign as part of measures to sensitise and raise the security consciousness of the people.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Adamu, announced the plan in Umuahia on Tuesday at a seminar organised for principals of public and private secondary schools in the state.

Adamu said the seminar became necessary because of the recent events in the state. “We always prefer to take proactive approach in all that we do,” he said.

Adamu said the command would take the campaign to all segments of the society, including market men and women.

He said the command had already carried out similar seminars for heads of banks in the state on improvised explosive devices and how to handle them.

Adamu said the lecture provided an avenue for the command to educate the people on important security measures to avert any explosion in their schools.

Head of the Bomb Disposal Unit, Austin Nwosu, urged the principals to be vigilant and conscious of their environment.

“Always endeavour to go round the school premises regularly to be able to identify any strange objects,” Nwosu said.

He advised the school heads not to hesitate to report any strange object in their school premises.

“You should not wait to be convinced about the content of the object before reporting to the police or any nearest security agency in the state.

“The Federal Government has trained and equipped people to handle bombs, so you should report immediately you find any strange objects on your premises,” Nwosu said.

Nwosu advised the people on the dangers of rushing to the scene of bomb explosion, adding that they could he hurt by particles of the explosives or fresh explosions.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Monday Ordiah, douse the fears raised by the participants that herdsmen, who moved around the schools and villages, could be threats.

Ordiah urged the people not to antagonise the herdsmen but to immediately report them to the security agencies if they engaged in any untoward act.

He said the state government had inaugurated a committee to evolve a lasting solution to the menace being constituted by the herdsmen in community farmlands.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Victoria Chigbu, thanked the police for organising the event and urged the participants to see themselves as change agents.

Chigbu urged the participants to take the lessons they learnt to the nooks and crannies of the state.