DAMBAZAU TO POLICE HIERARCHY- We want a Police Capable of Eliminating Fear Among Nigerians.
***Canvasses setting up of City Policing Organs.
The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), on Thursday disclosed that he wants to see a Police force capable of eliminating fear created by criminals from the Nigerian society noting that a police force that should engender confidence whereby the citizenry can go anywhere they want at any time, is what the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari wants to bequeth to the nation.
In this light, Dambazau convassed the setting up of City Policing organs which will dedicate intelligence and high stake investigation methods towards a round the clock protection of lives, property as well as ensure peaceful and conducive atmosphere in the major cities across the country like Abuja City Centre, Ibadan, Lagos City Centre.
The minister who made the disclosures during a working visit to Force headquarters in Abuja, noted that to attain the 3 pronged fundamental objectives of the Buhari adminstration which are security, the economy and tackling unemployment, the Police which is the most strategic institution as far as internal security is concerned must rise up to the challenges of insecurity .
“The issue of Public safety and internal security mostly rests squarely on the shoulders of the police, the others are merely complimenting their efforts,“he said.
Declaring that he would institute institutional reforms in the services under the ministry including the Police, Dambazau said, “The police leadership must work toward changing the bad perception of Nigerians about activities of the police. We must do a lot to change the perception about the Nigeria Police Force.
“We want to have a strong police force that will be able to face emerging modern challenges. We have a plan to look at the short and long terms in repositioning the Force”.
Describing Prison congestion as a problem area that needed to be addressed, , the minister noted that the police had a major role to play in the decongestion of Nigerian prisons by ensuring in depth and diligent investigation of cases pointing out that there was a need for the police to investigate allegations thoroughly before taking the matter to court, to avoid delay.
“Where you don’t have detailed and almost near perfect investigation it will become very difficult to prosecute and more people will be awaiting trial” he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, harped on the need to review the funding mechanism for the police insisting that “It was only through adequate funding of the police that the performance gap in policing could be addressed.
Emphasizing the force’s support to the administration of the minister to succeed in its quest to reposition the police, Arase said “In this regard, and trusting in your continuous support and motivation, permit me to affirm my determination to transform the police to a more people-friendly police,“he said.
Also speaking, Chairman, Police Service Commission, Mr Mike Okiro, charged officers and men of the Force to be committed to their duty saying they owed the Nigerian public a duty to provide security at all times.
He commended the leadership of the police for its efforts at ensuring professionalism.
The minister commissioned the Police Hall of Fame built in honour of fallen officers after observing a one minute silence in honour of the deceased and later inspected the Police museum.
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