Acting IGP warns officers against security breach

ABUJA — Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, expressed zero tolerance for criminality in any part of the country, even as he warned that any officer of the Force responsible for any security breach around the country will pay dearly for it.


He also said he was adopting neighbourhood viewpoint as his administration’s strategy to fight crime and criminality across the country.
Briefing journalists after a crucial closed-door meeting with Assistant Inspectors General of Police as well as Commissioners of Police of the 36 states of the Federation, which lasted for over three hours at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Abubakar evaded divulging his strategies to tackling the Boko Haram menace but maintained that the days of jamboree were over and that the Force under him would tackle criminality headlong in collaboration with other security agencies in the country.

Expressing zero tolerance for negligence of duty in the Force, one scenario which led to the suspension of CP Zakari Biu, following the dramatic escape of fleeing Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, the IGP warned that CPs would be held responsible for any problems in their commands.
He added that “no officer would go scot free if involved or caught in extra-judicial matters.
“There is no place in the Nigeria Police Force for any dishonest and undisciplined policeman anymore and this administration will get rid of all misfits and undesirable members of the police force in the country irrespective of their ranks. Corruption and corollary lawlessness by police officers will no longer be tolerated but effectively dealt with. It shall no more be business as usual.”

Neighbourhood viewpoint
With the neighbourhood viewpoint, the acting  IGP said his men and officers would be enabled to physically comb all nook and crannies of every community and neighbourhood in the country with a view to fishing out criminals.
According to him, “all forms of criminality will be tackled headlong with the right approach, right equipment and close cooperation with our community and collaboration of other sister security agencies.
“We are in the midst of an ambitious initiative to survey every neighbourhood in the country to determine the crime and disorder priorities from community perspective. We call this the “Neighbourhood Viewpoint” and it is central to the Nigeria Police new policing plan.”

Continuing, the acting IGP said,  “I want you to know that we shall take this scrutiny seriously and take the responsibility to address our challenges and shortcomings”, adding, “The force would revamp its intelligence arm that tend to have misplaced its priority.  This department has lost touch with modern day intelligence activities and will be re-organized to measure up to the intelligence units of other nations”
According to him, the intelligence unit would be upgraded to a full department and would be properly equipped; maintaining that the force would ensure that the welfare of the officers are well attended to, while the police cooperative society and medical services would come alive again.
He however warned that the force would no longer contain any art of indiscipline from its
officers.

“The current state of criminality is of great concern to the government and to all Nigerians and the Force is expected to do more to bring under control the dangers that confront out people on a daily basis. Let me stress that this is not the time for rhetoric and grandstanding.

“All forms of criminality will be tackled headlong with the right approach, right equipment and close collaboration of other sister security agencies. The controversial incidents and the recent upsurge in violent crimes shall have my full attention and commitment to address them.
“IGPs conference will no longer be a jamboree as every Command CPs must have something to say to defend the crime statistics of his command. Command CPs will be held responsible for any problems in their commands and there shall be a monthly meeting of all AIGs and the IGP to assess the security of the respective zones.”

On interim measures to tackle insecurity, particularly the menace of the Boko Haram sect, the police helmsman toed the path of caution, noting that while he would not want to divulge his strategies for security reasons, the force was tightening its belt to square up to the challenge of the radical Islamic sect and other security challenges.
He, however, announced a new policing plan known as “Neighbourhood Viewpoint” which he described as an “ambitious” initiative to survey every neighbourhood in the country in order to rid them of criminality.
He said the commissioners of police in the respective states will soon be meeting various traditional rulers in their states for collaboration in arresting criminality surge in the country.

Abubakar lamented the dwindling image and professionalism of the Nigeria Police Force and vowed to pursue a total overhaul of the Force to purge it of all vices that had plagued it for decades and made it feeble to its primary responsibilities of enforcing law and order and fighting criminality in the society.
“Our key central areas have to do with leadership failure, general insecurity in the country, general lack of supervision, organized corruption within the police service, monetization of police services by some senior police officers, lack of application of extant rules and regulations, non-adherence to the principle of the rule of law, respect for human rights, extra-judicial killings and brutality, general insecurity situation and urgent need to promote strategic , indiscipline and corruption.

“There will also delegation of power and its proper application for effective results, urgent need to redeem the image of the Nigeria police force, collaboration, cooperation and partnership with other sister security agencies and members of the public, repositioning of the Nigeria mobile police force, repositioning of criminal intelligence and security indulgence bureau for effective performance, repositioning of the Force Public Relations Department and other challenges,” he said.
He called for the full cooperation of all Nigerians, saying “I am aware of the fact that we cannot do this fight alone. I call on all Nigerians to support the police, to support this administration, with a view to changing the police for a better police service.

“We intend to give this country a police service that will respect the citizens as our master while we are the servants. We expect that together we can collaborate and partner to make this country safe and secure.”
IG Abubakar, who exuded courage and confidence, noted that despite being bereaved, following the sudden passage of his wife on Monday, he could not afford to abandon critical issue sof state but work to improve the security situation of the country.
“You know I lost my wife and I am just trying to do what I’m supposed to do for this country. I cannot abandon Nigeria.”

Speaking on staff welfare and confidence building among the rank and file of the Force, Abubakar promised to pay a condolence visit soon to the families of force men who were killed in the serial bomb blasts that ravaged Kano recently.

He promised to ensure prompt payment of their full entitlements through the Nigeria Police Insurance Scheme.
“We have lost several numbers of men and if you lose a loved one and you don’t show respect, most of them are not happy the way they are being treated and that is why I will go to Kano personally to see issues myself, to console the injured and those who lost their families and to see what we can for members of their families.
“We are going to use the Nigeria Police Insurance Scheme to make sure benefits are paid and paid promptly,” the IGP added. (Vanguard)