Following the outbreakof the Ebola virus in Lagos State, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, has ordered the Police Medical Corps to do everything within its power to protect personnel and their families in the state.

According to a source, Abubakar does not want police officers to become victims of the Ebola virus, so that the security of the nation would not become weakened.

The IGP’s order came after speculation from some experts, that members of the police force might be highly infected if the breakout was not checked, because, “policemen and women are the first contact everywhere in the country,” said a security expert, who wishes to remain anonymous.

He continued: “If you go to the airports, seaports, borders, you’ll find policemen and women at those places. They’re the first contact at everywhere and should be protected against the virus. I’m happy to hear that Abubakar is being proactive concerning it.

When people die in strange circumstances, it’s the police that are called. How will the policeman knows a corpse that died from the virus? They’re also the people who go to different places, no matter the distance or how populated the place, to make arrest. In fact, any suspect can be a carrier and it’s the policeman that gets to slam handcuffs on the suspect, take him to the station, interrogate him and take him to court.

He does all these by making body contact!” A police source said that even as the fear about the Ebola Virus envelopes Lagos, Abubakar had already taken steps to protect his men.

The source said that the Police Medical Corps Services, on the orders of the IGP, has initiated a programme aimed at enlightening police personnel across the nation of the hazards of the virus. “One major target is to deal with ignorance and myth surrounding Ebola,” said the source.

“The Police Medical Corps believes that the first step is to understand the nature of the disease, how it spreads and how one can avoid contracting it. Without studying it, you can’t avoid it even with gloves.”

Another police source revealed that as of Wednesday, the Police Medical Corps had started producing different pamphlets to educate police personnel.

Some of the pamphlets would be pasted in all police formations and barracks, while the second would be given to personnel to take home and educate themselves and their family members.

The Force Spokesman, ACP. Frank Mba, who confirmed these when called on phone, said that the Police Medical Corps plans to roll out programmes, designed to educate members of the Force about Ebola virus.

His words: “The plan is to educate the personnel against the dreaded scourge, taking into cognizance the nature of police work, whose personnel come into contact with many people. The IGP is reassuring members of the police force, that their wellbeing is paramount to him.”