The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon E. Arase, has said that the Force has not issued any order banning assembly devotion in primary and secondary schools anywhere in Nigeria.
A statement by Ag. ACP Olabisi Kolawole, the Force Public Relations Officer, said that the IGP, against the backdrop of current security challenges in the country, only issued an advisory notice directed predominantly to the States where there is insurgency, “enjoining them to apply caution in the said assembly so that such congregations do not present soft targets for insurgents.
“Reminding citizens of their freedom to worship as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Police High Command states that the Nigeria Police Force did not stop anybody from taking part in prayer sessions organised by schools, churches and mosques, describing the congregation as the constitutional and democratic rights of Nigerians.”
The IGP therefore called on the general public to see the present position of the Force as a necessary sacrifice for the security, safety and peace our schools need, as security is a collective responsibility.
The Inspector-General of Police also reassured Nigerians of the Police’s determination to strengthen and enhance the safety and security of all residents of Nigeria while counting on Nigerians to continue to support and work in synergy with the Force toward the achievement of its constitutional mandate.
