By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of the newly created Zone 13 located at Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State Area of Anambra State, Mr. Danmalam Mohammed, has called on officers of the force to shun illegal arrests, torture, extra judicial killings and extortion, saying that it will not be tolerated.

He made the statement on Wednesday during a media briefing to formerly kick off activities at the new Zone 13 Headquarters.

Mohammed urged officers to embrace professionalism as the law demands, saying that his team has fashioned out ways to contain issues of armed robbery, kidnapping, herders and farmers clash.

The AIG, who was in company of the State Commissioners of Police for Anambra, Mr. John Abang, Enugu, Mr. Ahmad Abdurrahman, and his Ebonyi counterpart, Mr. Philip Sule Maku, said they were yet to receive any complaint or petition since operations kickedat the zone on July 8.

He said: “We believe in due process. We will do our best to protect lives and properties in compliance to extant laws of the land. We shall maintain law and order within the zone. We shall uphold human rights.

“We say no to extortion. We say no to extrajudicial killings. We say no to torture and illegal arrest. We will adopt every visibility policy to combat crimes in the zone in line with the policy of our Inspector General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Adamu Abubakar,” while calling on officers posted to the zone to ensure that effective policing is brought closer to the people.

He hailed the state governor for his giant strides in the area of charity.

In his speech, a business mogul, Prince Arthur Eze, expressed joy that people of the area will no longer go through the burden of transporting themselves to Umuahia, Abia State for their cases.

He urged the police to shun what he described as heartlessness, brutality, unwarranted arrest or excessive and illegal use of force against civilians.

Eze whose country home is playing host to the zones location also harped on the need for police to shun intimidation or verbal abuse and false allegations among other acts of victimization.

He called on the citizens to see police as friends of the civilians.

While commending IGP Adamu for the new inaugurated zone in his state, he called on President Mohammed Buhari to site more infrastructural facilities that would uplift the living standard of the people of the zone.