THE Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 6 Calabar, Baba Adisa Bolanta, has cautioned militants from Adadama in Cross River and Amagu Ikwo in Ebonyi State to stay off the buffer zone created by Federal Government so as forestall further communal clashes.
The police chief, who gave the warning yesterday in Calabar during a chat with newsmen, urged parents to call their children to order, stressing that anyone who breaches security would be dealt with.
He said: “ I called a stakeholders’ meeting of people of the two communities. They all agreed to sheath their swords. There is a buffer zone there. I have directed that nobody within the two communities should enter the buffer zone as law enforcement men are in red alert to stop any form of intrusion.”
It will be recalled that the two neighbouring communities have been at war over farmland for over two decades and it had led to loss of lives.
To further tighten security in the areas, Balanta explained that police helicopters had also been deployed around the zone for security surveillance, just as he said collaboration with other security agencies in the zone had been increased.
“Another strategy we have put in place is to increase our collaboration with other security agents like the military, State Security Service, the Immigration, Federal Road Safety Corps amongst others.
“We are doing intelligence policing where communities are brought in to partner with us. Traditional institutions, church leaders, IPMAN, NURTW and every allied union are involved. Even if you import policemen from Scotland Yard, they would do little if people do not give information about criminality. We are bringing police operation to the grassroots. This is yielding results,” Bolanta said.
He added that such crimes like kidnapping and robbery had reduced in the zone because of the massive deployment of policemen within the urban centre and on the highway.
