Anambra State Police Command has banned the wearing of masks by security operatives in the area, insisting that personnel on duty must be properly identified.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the use of masks by operatives poses a security risk, adding that criminal elements can exploit this in perpetrating crimes and criminality.
According to the statement, the use of masks by security operatives is unauthorised, insisting that it should be discontinued.
“The Anambra State Police Command has expressed serious concern over the growing trend of some security operatives concealing their identities while providing protection to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) within the State”
“The Command notes that while security duties often require tactical discretion, the act of masking identities without proper authorisation raises significant security concerns”
“Such practices, it observed, not only pose a potential threat to public safety but also undermine trust, accountability, and the integrity of inter-agency collaboration”
“To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Orutugu, reiterated that identifiable security personnel remain a critical component of coordinated security operations, especially in an environment that demands synergy among various agencies”
“The use of masks by operatives, particularly in non-operational or public-facing assignments such as VIP protection, makes it difficult to verify legitimacy and could be exploited by criminal elements to perpetrate unlawful acts under the guise of security duties”
“The CP, therefore, calls on all security agencies operating within the State to ensure that their personnel are properly identified at all times while on routine or protective duties, except in clearly defined tactical operations sanctioned by appropriate authorities”
“Anambra State Police Command remains dedicated to upholding professionalism, accountability, and public trust in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities”, the statement read.
