Police places restrictions on drinking of alcohol in Benue to fight insecurity

The Benue State Police Command has announced it will be enforcing restrictions on drinking of alcohol in the state in a bid to curb insecurity.

This was contained in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP, Catherine Anene.

According to her, the liquor acts prohibit the drinking of alcohol from 6am to 1.59pm and also forbid beer parlours from operating beyond 10.00 pm.

“There is a liquor act which stipulates that people who sell beer or alcohol in beer parlours and open places shouldn’t be there beyond 10pm. That is part of the law, there are other provisions of the law,” the PPRO said.

“But in Benue for a long time now, people sell alcohol beyond 10pm and some till the next day. So when the new Commissioner came, he said that will encourage crime. When people drink so much even beyond normal hours, they begin to misbehave and it encourages crime.

“So we want to enforce liquor act and that is why we started enforcing the act. The act has been there but there was no enforcement,” she added.

Anene said the state Commissioner of Police, Audu Madaki, had directed the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the state to invite beer parlour operators within their area and find out if they have a license to sell beer and if they understand what the act says about the sale of alcohol generally.

“The act has several portions which will be enforced to beef up security in the state,” she said.