The inspector-general of police, Mohammed Abubakar, has directed commissioners of police across the country to embark on arrest of motorists who use sirens indiscriminately, saying there is a serious abuse of siren by unauthorised persons.
Abubakar, who was speaking during the official commissioning of 40 border and 10 highway patrol vehicles yesterday, said banks and other companies not covered in the list of persons authorised to use sirens would henceforth be stopped.????
“Let me use this opportunity to warn that we have noticed a serious abuse of the use of sirens in the country. When you come to Abuja there are certain numbers of people who are allowed to use sirens. Therefore all commissioners of police are hereby directed to check the abuse of sirens on our highways and state roads so that we will be able to control it and obey the law on the use of sirens.
“There are certain categories of people who are supposed to use sirens: the president, the vice president, Senate president, speaker, their deputies, the state governors and service chiefs, the inspector-general of police, GOCs, DIGs, AIGs and commissioners of police. Even where the police use the siren, it is primarily when they are going for operation. You cannot just start using siren like that. Therefore, enforcement is going to take place,” Abubakar said.
Abubakar, who warned officers attached to the patrol vehicles not to use them for any other purpose, stated that the newly commissioned patrol vehicles would check the influx of arms and ammunitions from our various borders and assist road users who find themselves in difficulty on the highway.