Plateau residents in the Bokkos Local Government Area of the State have expressed worry over a recent locking of the Divisional Police Station in the LGA over security concerns according to the DPO, Oliver Agu.
“Presently, more than 20 personnel are standing outside the Gate since around 7am,” said one resident in the station’s vicinity in Bokkos town.
“Many complainants and relations of inmates seeking to bail or feed them are also helpless outside,” said the resident in a telephone interview.
The Divisional Police Headquarters in Bokkos has recently been under locks following an official order, the resident said on background.
Authorities at the station have explained the lockdown has been thought out for “security reasons”.
“There are things I cannot tell you right now,” said the Divisional Police Officer in Bokkos, Superintendent of Police Oliver Agu.
“I said the gate should be locked from 10pm and opened at 6am,” said Agu, threatening arrest of reporters for allegedly spreading “falsehood”.
But as of 7:30am on Tuesday, photos of the station’s premises showed school children in uniform standing behind a closed gate apparently unable to go out.
At least 15 children living in the police barracks were locked out of school despite ongoing term examinations, said the resident.
“We don’t know what has gone wrong but we hear he began this action after his fowl reportedly went missing last weekend,” said another resident.
“No one has dared to talk to him on this issue. Even the policemen in the station are afraid of him,” said the resident in a phone interview.
The police official might have exhausted all options to instill sanity in the station’s vicinity, said a respected community leader in the area, Professor Slim Matawal.
“Human rights must be respected in taking such decisions but I am also aware of certain issues that need to be addressed,” said Matawal, a former Director General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NIBRRI), Abuja.
“It is not just within the barrack. The problem of sanitation, alcoholism and violent crimes within the entire Bokkos community in recent times have called for serious concern,” said Matawal who financed the fencing of the Divisional Police Station as well as the building of several outposts in Bokkos.
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police Alfred Alabo had yet to respond to a query sent to him by text message.
Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area, Joseph Guluwa however promised to investigate the issue. Responding to a text message from our reporter, Guluwa who was preparing for the funeral of his brother simply wrote “okay” when asked if he could look into the matter.
SOURCE: MK Reporters
