The Nigeria Police has taken action based on the directive of the Presidency that it would not tolerate the looting and arson that is fast becoming commonplace across the country.
While some of the states have recorded some arrests and recoveries, other states are working to curb the menace which has been an offshoot of the #EndSARS protests.
The Nigeria Police in Akwa Ibom, Osun, Plateau, Kano, and Anambra States have made gains in arresting hoodlums and perpetrators of looting, arson, and vandalism in the afore-mentioned states.
Some of the looters focused on looting the COVID-19 palliatives stored in warehouses by the government, on the strength that the government did not share measurable palliatives to the people during the mandatory COVID-19 Lockdown.
As at the time of this report, at least, 483 suspected looters have been apprehended.
In Kano, at least 40 persons were apprehended for reportedly looting the Sabon Gari area, Fagge Local Government area as well as the prominent Galaxy Mall at Sabon Gari, Kano.
Abdullahi Haruna confirmed that looters were apprehended across the state with exhibits.
In Akwa Ibom, 10 suspected looters were arrested for looting goods worth millions of naira. The Police has also recovered goods comprising government and private properties after the arrest.
Odiko Macdon, Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command noted that officers are geared to fish out the looters from every nook and cranny of the state.
In Osun State, 80 suspected looters have been brought to book for looting across the state.
Yemisi Opalola, the spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command confirmed the arrest and noted that while it has deployed policemen to locate and apprehend perpetrators, it has also urged those in custody
to return looted items.
So far, 30 suspects have been paraded for looting government and privately owned properties in the State.
Abiodun Ige, the Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Security asserted that the government will not tolerate any act of lawlessness in the State.
In Plateau State, 118 suspected looters were arrested in Jos by Operation Safe Haven in different parts of the state. The suspects embarked on looting government warehouses and private property in deviance to the curfew imposed by the State Government.
Major General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, Commander of Operation Safe Haven paraded the suspects at the Command Headquaters in Jos recently.
General Okonkwo noted that some of the suspects were arrested with exhibits belonging to the Plateau State Agricultural Development Agency, PSADP, and other places.
The recovered items included fertilizers, pumping machines, agro-chemicals, generators, trailer tubes and farming items.
In Anambra, the Police have apprehended six persons involved in looting.
Read Also: 300 Suspected Looters Face Trial in Plateau
Haruna Mohammed, the Police Public Relations Officer has confirmed it and noted that the arrest was in connection with the rate
of attack and looting in the state in recent times.
In the FCT, the police deployed a chopper for aerial surveillance during the looting of warehouses in Jabi, Abuja. Although the Police were able to prevent the raiding of a warehouse in Jabi, it was unable to stop looters in Garki. The Policemen fired gunshots into the air to scare the hoodlums away.
Mariam Yusuf, spokesperson of the FCT Police Command said the police made sure that no lives were lost and none of the looters had injuries, while trying to prevent them from committing the crime.
In Rivers State, Nnamdi Omoni, spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command stated that residents should be vigilant and inform the police on any criminal elements bent on looting property.
In Lagos, 229 arrests have been made. Nevertheless, Muyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer has appealed to residents of the State to avoid ‘buying or receiving’ stolen goods. He said that a receiver or buyer is liable under the law. He admonished residents to avoid buying products that are cheaper than the actual amount in the open market.
Femi Morgan