President Ernest Bai Koroma has called in the military to assist Police in curbing the alarming spate of armed robberies in the country.
In a nationwide broadcast last night, the President said that the rising wave of robberies was “totally unacceptable.” He disclosed that he had summoned a National Security Council meeting and “with immediate effect” as of last night a joint Military and Police operation has been mounted under the Military Aid to Civil Power (MACP) protocol from 7pm to 7am “until further notice.”
Vehicles without valid number plates and documentation are to be arrested, vehicles with garage plates should be verified and controlled and all those stopped at various checkpoints which will be mounted countrywide will have their identities verified.
He has also ordered “thorough investigations of all vehicles with foreign number plates to ensure compliance with our traffic laws and the ECOWAS protocols; arrest of all foreign private registered vehicles engaging in commercial transportation.”
Lastly the President warned that “any person caught or suspected of causing damage to government property and infrastructure, particularly the NPA transformers and transmission lines or any installation bearing direct impact on the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Power Plant shall be arrested and severely dealt with.”
President Koroma assured the citizenry that he “will do everything to safeguard your lives and property.”
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