As part of the force's efforts to curb criminal activities in Nigeria, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), on Monday, flagged off the second phase of a special security action plan, code-named ‘Operation Puff Adder II' to fish out criminals.

The first phase of the initiative codenamed 'Operation Puff Adder I' was launched by the IGP in April 2019.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Force Headquarters Abuja, IGP Adamu declared that the new phase was being launched to reinforce the ongoing fight against banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes in the country.

The IGP explained that the new special operation, which would be intelligence-led and community-driven, would be executed in sustained collaboration with the Armed Forces, the Intelligence Community and other sister security agencies.

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He added that It was also aimed at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from criminals that were bent on threatening the internal security order across the country and bringing them to book.

IGP Adamu said that Operation Puff Adder II was an initiative of the force conceived from a deliberate and critical evaluation of the pattern and trend of crimes in the country.

According to him, “With the special operation, there shall be massive and well-planned deployment of both human and other operational assets of the force to reinforce and consolidate on the successes and achievements of Operation Puff Adder I, launched by the IGP in April 2019."

The IGP further noted that the flag-off was the first phase of the operation targeted at the full restoration of peace and security in the North-West and North-Central Geopolitical Zones of the country.

According to him, “the Operation is aimed at dislodging bandits from their current operational spaces and denying them space to regroup in other parts of the country. It will also ensure that all arrested bandits and their collaborators are brought to book.

“In the long run, it is expected that the operation shall be replicated across other states of the federation to deal with the security challenges inherent in those states.”

The IGP, while assuring the police operatives of adequate welfare provisions during the mission, charged them to be civil with law-abiding citizens but firm and ruthless with criminal elements who might want to threaten the safety of citizens in their areas of responsibilities.

The Police boss who also assured Nigerians that the force would continue to do all within its powers to guarantee a stable security order across the country called on the civil populace to work with the Police and other security agencies in the joint tasks of safeguarding the nation, especially in the area of providing useful, relevant and timely information.