The Anambra State Police Command has issued a stern warning against the burgeoning trend of security operatives concealing their identities while protecting Very Important Personalities (VIPs) across the state.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Command expressed deep concern about the practice, noting that while certain security duties necessitate tactical discretion, the unauthorised masking of operatives raises significant alarms. Officials observed that such anonymity poses a direct threat to public safety and severely undermines the trust, accountability, and inter-agency synergy essential for maintaining law and order.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, emphasised that identifiable personnel are a cornerstone of coordinated security operations. He remarked that the use of masks during non-operational or public-facing assignments, such as VIP escort duties, creates a dangerous vacuum where legitimacy cannot be easily verified.
The CP warned that this lack of transparency could be exploited by criminal elements seeking to perpetrate unlawful acts under the guise of official security functions.
Consequently, CP Orutugu has called upon the leadership of all security agencies within Anambra State to ensure their personnel remain properly identified at all times during routine or protective duties. Exceptions will only be granted for clearly defined tactical operations that the appropriate authorities have officially sanctioned.
Reaffirming the Command’s stance, the statement concluded that the Anambra State Police remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and accountability while fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities to the public.
