Why the streets are heavy with Police presence
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Cross River State Command, Inuwa Hafiz has explained the huge presence of Police in the streets of Cross River.
In a phone chart with our correspondent, CP Hafiz said that at the end of every year, the command embarked on what he described as ‘Operation Velvet’.
He explained that the exercise was aimed at recovering all stolen vehicles across the state and nation noting that similar exercise was going on in other parts of the country.
“It is operation velvet, normally, at the end of the year, every command in the country intensify security operation aimed at recovering stolen and robbed vehicles.
According to him, the command received reports of stolen vehicles and the only way to recover these vehicles are through these checks his command was doing.
“There have been reports of alleged stolen vehicles and other criminal activities in the state” noting that the Command will recover the stolen vehicles.
He confirmed that the exercise started yesterday, “The activity started yesterday”. At the time of filling this report, there was less vehicles on the road.
Consequently, as security operatives in Cross River State embarked on security checks in the state aimed at recovering stolen and robbed vehicles, owners of the vehicles deserted the roads.
Daily Times who monitored the exercise in various streets were the exercise was being carried out, observed that uniform personnel were seen conducting checks on vehicles.
The security men and officers from the Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were seen at various roads checking vehicle particulars.
The presence of these security operatives on the streets scared vehicle owners particularly commercial vehicle operators whose car’s particular are not complete deserted the roads causing challenges for workers and business men and women.
Some government workers, it was gathered, reported late at work today because of scarcity of commercial vehicles. Sadly, some government workers whose vehicle’s particulars are not complete left their cars at home and walked to work.
Edem Bassey, Calabar
