Solomon Arase, the Inspector-General of Police, on Thursday assured that no group will overrun the country or illegally occupy any part of it under his watch as the chief police officer.
Mr. Arase gave the assurance in Abuja at a public hearing on the influx of herdsmen to Benue, organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Police Affairs.
He said the Nigeria Police Force have so far arrested 18 people in connection with the attacks in Benue communities.
“Every life lost diminishes humanity as a whole,” Mr. Arase said.
“I have taken an oath to effectively police and protect every security space in Nigeria.
“And I will continue to do that within the ambit of the law and to the best of my ability and that of my officers and men.
“And I make bold to say that the Nigerian State cannot be overrun by hoodlums, I can assure you.”
Mr. Arase said the NPF had developed initiatives to restore normalcy and ensure peace in the state.
“I had a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Benue where each of the parties presented their positions, both verbally and in writing.
“It was a very protracted argument and before leaving, I was able to come up with some strategies on how to mitigate this crisis which I presented to the government of Benue and Nasarawa states,” he said.
(NAN)