The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Acheampong, has given assurance of adequate security for all football fans, irrespective of their nationality, as the Ghana 2008 tournament progresses. He said there would be adequate security personnel before, during and after matches to protect lives and property and ensure that the serenity of the games was not marred. Mr Acheampong gave the assurance in an interview Friday following fears expressed by some Nigerian fans that they would be attacked by their Ghanaian counterparts if the Super Eagles managed to defeat the Black Stars of Ghana. Reporters from three Nigerian television stations and a newspaper house went to the Police Headquarters on Thursday to interview the acting Director of Police Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, on security arrangements to protect Nigerian fans, particularly during and after the match. Mr Acheampong urged the Nigerian fans to feel at home, as they had always felt in Ghana, since their safety was guaranteed. He appealed to football fans not to do anything that would disturb the peaceful atmosphere that the tournament had enjoyed so far, saying that any acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated by the security agencies. The IGP said the comportment of the fans so far had been very good and urged them to keep it up. Mr Acheampong also used the opportunity to debunk complaints that tickets for the match had been hijacked by Nigerian fans and reminded the fans that the stadium had a capacity of 40,000 and could, therefore, not accommodate spectators in excess of that. The IGP urged those who would not get access to the stadium to patronise the large television screens provided at various points. Mr Acheampong appealed to soccer fans not to carry any fire crackers to the stadium, saying thorough searches would be conducted on fans who entered the stadium to ensure that they did not enter with any offensive material. He said indiscriminate parking and sale of merchandise by unlicensed persons would also not be tolerated. Source: Daily Graphic