Fighting Crime: AIG Egbetokun Orders Reinvigoration of  ‘Stop and Search Strategy’ in FCT;  We have Rescued 24 Kidnap Victims – CP Sadiq Abubakar

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge Zone 7, Abuja, AIG Kayode Egbetokun has said there is no way ‘Stop and Search’ strategy can be banned in tackling crime and hunting of criminal elements by the Nigerian Police force because it has proven to be a very effective strategy for the force.

Speaking during a familiarization visit to the FCT Command on Wednesday, AIG Egbetokun said, “We must reinvigorate stop and search, effectively manned black spots and sustain the present tempo in raid of criminal hide outs.

He was reeling out strategies to be put in place by Police Commands under the zone to tackle criminality including kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching and theft of infrastructure like transformers, man holes and power cables among others.

When reminded that several authorities including past Inspectors General of Police have scrapped Stop and Search because of their high-handedness, while some were converted to money making ventures, the AIG said, “There is no way we can proscribe Stop and Search operation in the police. It is a very effective anti-crime strategy that has proven to be very effective to Commands in arresting crime

His words, “Though there were pockets of incidents of armed robbery and kidnapping in the recent past, I must commend the effort of the Commissioner of Police FCT and his management team as well as all officers and men of the FCT command for several breakthroughs that have been recorded in recent times.

“There have been arrest’s of notorious kingpins, recoveries of arms and ammunition and rescue of kidnapped victims in the Suburbs of the FCT. I note with commendation your strategic partnership with other security agencies within the FCT. This goes to show that you are in tune with reality because the present challenges require a multifaceted approach and no single agency in the present circumstances can do it all alone.

“Notwithstanding, the commendable achievements recorded so far by the command, there is a room for improvement. Modern policing is intelligence led, community based and technology driven. We must therefore work harder to enhance our intelligence capacity.

“We must improve on visibility policing. The recent deployment of newly passed out recruit constables is a big boost in this regard. We must sustain strategic partnership with other security agencies and other stakeho’ders.

“We must improve traffic control within the FCT. Traffic officers must be on their toes to ensure traffic flows within the FCT.

“We must engage the local communities more in the policing of the communities, work together and in agreement to restore professionalism in the Police, intensify stop and search operation devoid of extortion, ensure efficient utilization of resources and build confidence.

Continuing he said, “My assumption of duty as AIG Zone 7, coincided with the delivery of brand new operational vehicles to the FCT command by the FCT administration. This gives me a lot of hope that policing will soon be made easy and more interesting in the FCT. These vehicles have since been put into judicious use and have greatly enhanced operational capacity within the FCT with results being recorded in the areas where the vehicles have been deployed.

On the 2023 general elections, the AIG said, “Aside from being the lead agency in internal security, the Nigeria Police Force is also the lead agency in election security management as stipulated in the relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2020.

“The calendar and schedule of activities of the electoral process in Nigeria can be divided into; pre-election, during election and post-election periods. The Nigeria police Force has the mandate to provide security throughout the entire electoral process, It is on this note that the IGP Alkali Baba Usman organized workshops in all the six Geopolitical Zone on Election Security Management.

“All the 19 stakeholders making the ICCES (Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security) were participants, Resource persons were drafted from various institution and it was impactful.

“As a discipline force, we all must key into the policing trust of the IGP Mr Usman Alkali Baba in order to guarantee a hitch free general election. We must ensure that crime and criminality is reduced to barest minimum.

Earlier FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Sadiq Idris Abubakar has developed new crime fighting strategies which has led to arrest of 18 armed robbers, rescue of 36 kidnap victims who were reunited with their families while the ban on scavenging, illegal Okada and Keke Napep operators were being enforced.

He noted that issues of kidnapping were being perpetrated in remote communities located in border areas of the FCT near Niger State, Nasarawa adding that, “The FCT Command has been able to develop and implement operational policies and strategies targeted at combatting crimes and criminality as is evident in our modest achievement.

“This includes the arrest of 18 armed robbers and recovery of One Thousand One Hundred and Fifty Nine (1159) exhibits including arms and ammunition of various caliber, motor vehicles and motorcycles, illicit drugs and other harmful weapons. Equally, 24 kidnapped victims have been rescued and reunited with their families.

“The FCT Command under my leadership is committed to ensuring that the policing ideals of the Inspector-General of Police which has been effectively canvassed by the AIG in charge of Zone 7 are clearly and without doubt exemplified in the Command. Similarly, one of the foremost mandate of the Command is to deliberately entrench modern policing standards, particularly respect for the Rule of Law and the Fundamental Rights of all citizens.”