Enugu killings: We are working hard to track down attackers – Arase

Mr Solomon Arase

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, said the Police were working hard to unravel the true identities of herdsmen killing innocent Nigerians in parts of the country.

Arase stated this in Jos, Plateau, on Friday while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after delivering a paper at a Public Lecture at the University of Jos.

He said the police had made some arrests in connection with the Nimbo killings in Enugu, adding that investigation had been intensified to unravel the identity of the assailants.

He added that the police were determined to devise ways to end the bloodletting in the country.

“I was in Enugu and the Commissioner of Police has briefed me that arrests have been made, and from the interrogation, we should be able to situate their identities.

“We should be able to establish whether they are herdsmen or mercenaries who are coming to destabilise our way of life,’’ Arase said.

He explained that the recent ban on sale of petrol in jerry cans did not affect those that needed the product for their generators.

“It is not targeted at people carrying out their legitimate business; for instance, if you need it to power your generator, we will not harass you.

“It is targeted at people who are hoarding and selling,’’ he said, adding that the ban had been amended to “reflect the true intent of what we are doing’’.

Earlier in his paper entitled “Police and Public Partnership in Prevention and Control of Violent Crimes and Conflicts in Nigeria’’, Arase restated that the police must work with the public to achieve their mandate.

According to him, several reforms have been initiated to entrench cordial relationship between the police and the public.

In his remarks, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Hayward Mafuyai, commended the IG for the lecture, describing it as thought-provoking.

Mafuyai said the lecture was to educate the university community and the public on some pertinent issues on policing and crime prevention.

He expressed confidence that the public had benefited from security tips offered by the police boss.