By Amos Tauna
In a renewed effort to put an end to the rampant cases of kidnap on the Abuja-Kaduna highway in the Northern part of Nigeria, the country’s Police have deployed 600 personnel and 90 vehicles to ensure effective road patrol.
Flagging off the operation in Rijana, a village known for notoriety as kidnappers’ den, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Federal operations, Habila Joshak, said the tactical operation, which is a continuation of Operation Maximum Safety launched last year is made up of 500 regular officers and men as well as 100 intelligence officers.
The DIG explained that 60 of the patrol vehicles would be dedicated to patrolling the Kaduna-Abuja highway while the remaining 30 of the vehicles would Patrol the Kaduna-Zaria axis of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway.
Addressing officers and men mobilised from different Mobile Police Commands across the country, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, Habila Joshak enjoined the officers and men of the Force to ensure the highway was made safe for motorists and commuters.
“I want to assure Nigerians that we will not have any situation that will overwhelmed us. We will be robust in our actions. We will not only be on the highway but Nigerians will see our actions. We have done it before. There will be no more kidnapping on this road again. We have done it before. We will do it again” he said.
He further charged the police officers and men not to allow any hand that is coming to the road with arms with the intention of kidnapping people for ransom reach the trigger.
The personnel who were deployed from eleven states command of the Force are to be stationed in Rijana, a notorious hub for kidnappers and cattle rustlers.
The mobile policemen were deployed from Kaduna, Abuja, Katsina, jigawa, Akwanga, lafiya, Zaria Minna, challawa , Rivers, and Makurdi.
In the last three weeks, more than twenty persons, including a member of the House of representatives, a member of the the state house of assembly, an army officer and four members of the same family were kidnapped in Kaduna state with the bulk of the incidence taking place on the Kaduna -Abuja highway.