JOS: MILITARY CAUTIONS AGAINST DIVISION AMONG SECURITY AGENCIES

The military has cautioned against division among the ranks of security agencies in Plateau over the enforcement of the ban on commercial cyclists, popularly known as Okada, in Jos and Bukuru.

This is coming against the backdrop of a statement by the Plateau Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who accused the military of refusing to enforce the law.

Aduba had declared that the military, being in charge of internal security of the state, must be part of the team to enforce the law.

The police commissioner, in that statement, also debunked claims by the spokesman of the Military Special Task Force, Lt.-Col. Kingsley Umoh, that soldiers were not informed or invited to enforce the law.

The soldiers had also declared that they would not be part of the enforcement even if called upon, arguing that it was not part of their mandate in Plateau.

But Aduba insisted that the military should be part of the Traffic Management Force, adding that 'their non-participation may polarise the state which is dangerous at this point in time.'

He said that the Plateau State Government notified the military and invited them to be part of the enforcement team in a letter written by the Ministry of Works and Transport and duly addressed to the GOC 3rd Armoured Division.

However, the military, in a swift reaction on Thursday, restated that it would not participate in the enforcement of the ban on commercial motorcycle operators.

A statement signed by Umoh in Jos on Thursday also described certain aspects of Aduba's statement as 'unfortunate and capable of misleading the public.'

The statement stressed the need for all security agencies to 'close ranks in the overall interest of the general public.

'This type of press statement issued by such a high ranking security personality is not only capable of misleading the ranks of the security forces but also capable of entrenching an unfavourable disposition of the public toward a particular arm of the security services, with all its relevant negative effects.'

The enforcement of the law prohibiting the ban on Okada had been met with stiff resistance by the operators, who went on rampage on Monday and Wednesday.