The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CP

  • Kano CP vows to tackle crime

    Kano CP vows to tackle crime

    The new Commissioner of Police  (CP) in Kano state, Muhammad Musa Katsina Tuesday vowed to tackle the menace of rape and youth restiveness, otherwise known as Yandaba and other criminal activities in the state.

    Musa Katsina who was posted from Oyo state took over from Ibrahim Idris who has been promoted to the position of Assistant Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Operation at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

    He said that his office will focus more on bringing down the wave of crime, rape, youth restiveness and other social vices prevalent in the ancient commercial city.

    He also called on discernable Nigerians resident in Kano to help the Command with useful information on crime and criminal activities.

    According to him, his office would be ever ready to promote the determination of the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to reposition the Nigeria police.

    While addressing officers and men of the Command, CP Musa Katsina urged them to inculcate the fear of God while carrying out their official duties.

    The police boss warned the officers and men to shun extortion and corrupt practices and promised to oversee the efficient implementation of personnel welfare.

    According to him, among the first he would take in repositioning the Command is to establish pioneer welfare office in the Command’s Public Relations office to look into welfare of officers affected by sickness, accident or disaster.

    CP Musa Katsina appealed to the good people of Kano State and members of the press to continue to extend their maximum support and cooperation as given to his predecessors in bringing down the wave of crime in the state and ensure effective provision of adequate security of life and property.

  • Police restates commitment to rid FCT of criminals

    Police restates commitment to rid FCT of criminals

    The FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of the command’s commitment to rid the territory of criminals.

    Wilson gave the assurance at a meeting with Media Executives, motor mechanics and panel beaters in Abuja on Monday.

    “We want to assure you that our raid on black spots in the territory is ongoing and some arrests and discoveries have been made,“ he said.

    He said that the meeting was part of the strategies adopted by the command to fight crime in the territory.

    “The police will continue to interface with members of the community for safe environment.

    “FCT is safe and secure, there are no major issues of concerns, but we are on red alert,“ he said.

    The commissioner said that all entrance and exit points into the territory were secure.

    He said that the command’s operation was not limited to the city centre alone but also to the satellite settlements.

    Wilson assured that the command would not hesitate to punish any personnel for any acts of indiscipline in the course of carrying out their duty.

    “The Command will not condone any acts of indiscipline, we will deal decisively with it,“ he said.

    On the cases of car theft in the territory, he urged motor mechanics and panel beaters to always report to the police before painting or replacing parts of accident vehicles.

    “We must know why you are changing the colour or part of the vehicle, “ he said.

    He added that there would be massive operation by personnel of the command against unpainted taxis operating in the territory.

    Wilson said that the command would work in collaboration with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation and FCT Transportation Department, to allow painted taxis access to some places.

    He said that the command was collaborating with neighbouring states of Kogi, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger to check crime.

    The commissioner commended the media for partnering with the command in the fight against crime in the territory.

    Contributing, Chris Okenwa of We FM radio, urged the commissioner to ensure that residents of satellite towns in the FCT benefited from services of the police.

    Mr. Chris Agbambu, Abuja Bureau Chief of the Nigerian Tribune, commended the efforts of the command in responding quickly to distress calls by residents

     

  • Don’t bribe police, CP tells agents

    The Commissioner of Police in charge of Western Ports, Mrs Hilda Ibifuro Harrison, has urged the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to report any police officer who demands bribe.

    Speaking during her visit to ANLCA national secretariat, Mrs Harrison said she was not happy that ANLCA members accused some of her officers of demanding as much as N25,000 bribe before allowing them to move their goods out of the ports.

    To show her readiness to deal with the situation, she gave ANLCA members her private mobile numbers, and directed the clearing agents to shun any request for bribe from her officers.

    “Until some persons are taught lessons, they don’t ever change, and you are the people to assist me do my job, not when the case has passed, but when they are right in the act, making the demand for corruption, I promise you that I will act.

    “If you have any case of injustice, report to me and I will take it up, but the problem is that a lot of you fraternise with my police men to sweep these things under the carpet and that is why they come to you again and again.

    “I urge you not to fraternise with the bad eggs in the Nigerian police come out and let us fight the fight of bribery together and we will achieve its,” she said.

     

  • PSC shortlists two DIGs, two AIGs, CP to succeed Abubakar

    PSC shortlists two DIGs, two AIGs, CP to succeed Abubakar

    Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar may not get a tenure extension from President Goodluck Jonathan, it was learnt yesterday.

    Already, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has submitted the files of two Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs), two Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs) and a Commissioner of Police (CP) to the Presiden to enable him make a choice.

    It was learnt that President Jonathan was studying the files and may make a pronouncement any moment.

    Abubakar is due for retirement on July 31. He will proceed on retirement on that date and hand over to the most senior officer, if the President refuses to extend  his tenure before that day.

    A source said: “If the President does not announce Abubakar’s tenure extension before July 31, he will proceed on retirement. This is because that is his terminal date in the police. If it happens that a new IGP is not appointed, he will hand over to the most senior officer, that is the DIG ‘A’ Department.

    “He (Abubakar) cannot stay a day beyond July 31, unless his tenure is extended. This is because all  his course mates would retire on that day. In fact, about 60 senior officers are retiring this July.”

    It was also learnt that if the President is really interested in the tenure extension of the IGP, he would not have requested fom the PSC the files of those considered qualified for the job.

    Among the DIGs being considered, one would be retiring next year, it was learnt. The other, the source said,  has about seven years to stay in service.

    The DIG has about seven more years to put in service and is from the Northwest. The other is from Southsouth.

    Sources told our reporter that the DIG from the Southsouth may not be favoured because the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, is from that zone. His choice may mess things up for the President. He is also said to be a loyalist of a former military leader from the North.

    Of the two  shortlisted AIGs, one is highly educated and a respected detective, who was a Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to three former IGPs. He is from Edo State, the Southsouth. He is also said to be highly favoured among those shortlisted.

    The other AIG, it was learnt, is from Niger State in the Northcentral. He was a Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and was in Lagos State as the supervising CP during 2007 elections.

    The sources said the only police commissioner on the list is a former controversial Rivers State police chief.

  • We’ve reduced kidnappings by 49 per cent, says Rivers CP Ogunsakin

    We’ve reduced kidnappings by 49 per cent, says Rivers CP Ogunsakin

    Rivers State Commissioner of Police Tunde Ogunsakin assumed office on February 12. What has he done since then? Here they are in his words:

    The attention and projection that we have received since our resumption in February is overwhelming. The command in its mandatory duty of protecting lives and property has discharged various duties. We understand that assessment of function and duties is necessary to let us tighten some loose ends and be on the front seat of protecting lives and property as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria.

    We began our assessment with the tour of duty at the Ahoada Area Command. Ahoada was before then, consisting of seventeen (17) divisional police stations we identified the need to create an additional station Egi Police station was created, expanding Ahoada to 18 Division in totality. In our effort to rebuild the command, we have created Egi division to strategically bring policing to the door steps of the people, especially, the yearning people of Egi. During our inspections of Ahoada, we have been able to see the daily needs our officers at Ahoada. I have mapped out strategies to confront those challenges that I think require urgent attention. The tour will soon be extended to Port Harcourt area command.

    Forum of Traditional Rulers

    Rivers State Council of Traditional Ruler constitutes the major bloc of opinion models of the state. The command in its bid to identify and sustain relationship with the people, met with the royal fathers, who opined that issue of security, can be best tackled, when there is a synergy of relevant parties involved. The issue of cult groups who torment the citizenry on daily bases was discussed. The Rivers State Police Command is open to any advice or useful information that can help eradicate this ugly development.

    Stakeholders forum

    In our bid to push development to another level within the command, I have created a stake-holders’ forum who will serve as agents of development. The group consists of corporate organisations who liaise with the Police. The group will serve as a connecting rod to development in most areas that can help the command to grow. We are aware of the challenges posed by the question of who constitutes this group and will thus address them.

    Joint Task Force

    In our assessment of the command before resumption, the command used to have a robust relationship with other sister organisation. In the same vein, we have revitalised the JTF patrol the team was deemed necessary as a result of the challenges of sophisticated crimes, especially in the area of kidnapping the team, since its resuscitation has performed overtly beyond expectation in nipping crime in the bud at every corner.

    The command under my leadership has recorded huge success. In the area of Infrastructural development, we have created a new life for people of Omoku with the upgrading of Egi Police post to a division. My goals on assumption of duty here is to bring succour to the people of Rivers State, especially in the area of security. We are also working on the development in Ahoada command by building two additional divisions to make our goal of community policing a reality to the people. Community policing is an in -thing among security networks. We the officers of River State Police Command will not depart from this, God willing.

    Information and Communications Technology

    In modern day security, information technology plays a vital role in intelligence gathering and sharing. The command in its effort has caught up with this globalisation by creating an ultra-modern facility to enable our cops especially in the intelligent department catch up with reality. We have set up a structure for human capital development in ensuring officers access to the world through 24 hours access to the internet. This will not only help in their work but also help in both social and economic development.

    Operational achievements

    Upon my resumption of office as the Commissioner of Police, there have been astronomical achievements in the area of operations. Criminals can no longer consider Rivers State a safe haven as dedicated and well-motivated officers of the Command have demonstrated strong commitment to combating crime in all its manifestations

    Within this period, a large number of suspects have been arrested  with 1115 ammunitions and firearms recovered by the different divisions and units. Over 35 victims of kidnap have been rescued in this time also.

    In February, 181 cases were recorded of which 257 suspects were arrested. 98 cases were charged to court alongside 175 suspects, out of which 33 suspects were convicted, 78 are awaiting trial, while 36 were discharged and acquitted.

    In March, of 171 cases were recorded of which 213 suspects were arrested. Of these, 99 cases were charged to court alongside 166 suspects out of which 36 suspects were convicted, 72 are awaiting trial, while 16 were discharged and acquitted.

    In April, 198 cases were recorded of which 344 suspects were arrested. Of these, 128 cases were charged to court alongside 243 suspects, out of which 84 suspects were convicted, 135 are awaiting trial, while 24 were discharged and acquitted.

    Crime rate

    The Police have recorded success in the reduction of crime rate occasioned by the increase in apprehension of criminals. As a matter of fact, in the area of kidnapping overseen by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, we have recorded a reduction of the incidence by about 49 per cent in the past three months with a total of 31 cases as against the 21 cases recorded in January alone.

    In other areas such as armed robbery, the assiduous efforts of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad have seen a commendable rise in the arrest of robbers. Statistically speaking, a rise in apprehension to the measure of 250 per cent has been recorded with 27 armed robbers apprehended from February 2014 as against only two arrests made in January.

     

  • Abia new CP vows to chase out criminals

    The new police commissioner of Abia (CP), Ibrahim Adamu, has vowed to chase away all criminals still operating in the state.

    Speaking in Umuahia when he called on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, Adamu said that there is need the for police command to improve on the peaceful he has met on ground and sustain same for peace to reign.

    He said: “We will improve on what we met on ground. We’re here to ensure peace and nothing but peace in God’s own state and peace we must have to be the most peaceful state in the country and we’re ready to make it so.”

    Adamu stressed that he needed the cooperation of everybody to achieve his goal of having a sustainable peace and security in Abia.

    He solicited the cooperation of journalists in the efforts to keep criminals at bay in Abia at all times.

    The chairman of Abia NUJ, Hyacinth Okoli, commended the new CP for recognising the media as acritical partner in the fighting of crimes and assured him of full cooperation of the journalists in Abia state.

  • Valentine’s Day; No Indian visa on arrival; ‘Operation Record Uniform and Official Corruption’

    Valentine’s Day; No Indian visa on arrival; ‘Operation Record Uniform and Official Corruption’

    Two days to Valentine’s Day. Be nice to everybody and not just your lover. Do things right. Stop taking bribes. Stop using your uniform or position to intimidate or deprive others and then say a deceitful ‘Happy Valentine’s Day to your poor wife or girlfriend when you have fraudulently deprived so many of happiness by abusing the trust of your position, your uniform and your connections? How many Nigerians would genuinely send a Happy Valentine’s Day card to anyone you have ever encountered in uniform?

    Commiserations to Nigeria for being one of only eight countries not to be granted ‘an Indian visas on arrival’ in India, a privilege given by India to 180 other countries. Nigeria, your reputation is in tatters.

    The long overdue change of Mbu, the questionable, biased Commissioner of Police (CP) offers Jonathan the chance to extricate himself from the quagmire of Rivers State which threated to drag him into the unpresidential mud. What Rivers State needs, and what all states deserve, is an unbiased police service protecting all life and all property and not interfering in the primacy of the political organs except where they break the law. In Oyo State we also had such huge problems and various supporting CPs and party strongmen. It took a natural death and a change of police and political leadership to usher in a welcome avalanche of ‘Ajimobi peace’. We pray this will be the lot of Rivers State. Nigeria does not deserve violence. Someone should study Oyo State and Ajimobi’s methodology and spread it around the country.

    Across the country, why is that the ‘uniform in Nigeria’ continues to disgrace itself even as so many police and military lay down their lives fighting crime and terrorism and making orphans of their children, widows of their wives and paupers of their families?

    What is it in Nigeria and indeed in most of Africa and even developed countries that mutates a uniform wearer into a monster terrorising the very people the uniform is to service? But we must face our own malignant demons and not bother with the uniform demons of other countries until we have to visit them when crossing the border. Nigeria and Nigeria’s NGOS and professional bodies and indeed every Nigerian must never remain mute about this ‘uniform terrorism’. We must stand against this deeply ingrained ‘Nigerian Uniform Terrorism’ which has unfortunately received the full support of the organisations that those uniforms are acting on behalf of. Where are the police and supervisors? Tell every Nigerian you know, old and young, sitting at windows above the road, sitting in shops, sitting in public and private transport or walking down the road that they can and must record anything and everything that involves officialdom. The mobile phone can be the ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction Of Corruption’ WMDC? We must record on mobile phone every encounter with every official from secretariat to road until a change, a movement against uniform corruption, comes over Nigeria. ‘Operation Record Uniform and Official Corruption’. The sooner we start on this course the better. Be assured that it will happen as frustration at the brazenness of uniformed corrupt practices on the streets, in traffic, on the highways and in government offices where the ‘uniform’ is a title from Director General down to the filing clerk and gateman and is embarrassing the children and the nation.

    Nigeria must discuss, dissect and deal with the massive and apparently insurmountable corruption of the Nigerian uniform of any and every colour –black, grey, camouflage, yellow, white, maroon, light brown, navy blue, army green, airforce blue or whatever. Who smiles at a uniform? It is corruption to kill a citizen without cause, but the list of needless killings gets longer by the day. Road uniforms known for entrapping drivers and demanding needless items like fire-extinguishers and stupid unrealistic particulars. You may be the best and brightest professional in Nigeria dispensing life with each handshake and nod. But you are still subject to the myopia of governance, administration and the all-pervasive power of mediocrity and the Nigerian ‘Uniform’ police, FRSC, on your way home. Once a uniform is worn, even the uniform of political or government office –the agbada and babanriga and the civil servant, Tax consultant- its wearer mutates into a ‘legally illegally’ extortion monster, automatically and irreversibly.

    Continuous voters registration is the norm, as a person becomes 18 years old that person goes and registered as a right and responsibility. Such a voters card can be used for transactions and ID purposes.

    Surely ‘performance, planned and executed’, are supposedly key elements in the reason for the establishment and existence and desire of all politicians and political parties. If not they were fraudulently set up, fraudulently run and fraudulently in power. Unfortunately it seems that political parties are ‘strategizing’ to recover ‘lost’ states and ‘win’ more in the coming election perhaps ‘by any means necessary’. However some parties are strategizing even as they haemorrhage governors, senators, representatives, council chairmen and thousands of their personal faithful political cohorts.

    Unfortunately the political parties always forget that the first rule of successful politics as judged by the people, the citizens, the voting majority is ‘performance’. PDP and other parties must commit to maximum developmental performance as a ‘political strategy’. They must also be willing to subject that performance to public, not publicity, critical scrutiny. They will lose all honest elections unless they resort to rigging and cheating.

     

  • Edo masquerade shooting: Police nab suspects

    The Edo Police Command has confirmed the arrest of nine persons over Wednesday festival fracas in Igarra in which two youths of the community were shot.

    The state police commissioner, Mr. Folusho Adebanjo, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the police had arrested nine persons allegedly involved in the shooting.

    He said that the suspects would be transferred to the state command. The CP further confirmed that the victims of the gun shots were responding to treatment.

    An eye-witness account said that some youths alleged to be loyal to the Otaru of Igarra, Emmanuel Adachie Saiki II, allegedly ambushed some youths and shot Majebir Oseni and Sule Kassim, while trying to enforce the alleged ban of the Ekuochi masquerade festival.

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that Kassim and Oseni are receiving treatment at different private hospitals in Igarra, the administrative headquarters of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

    The monarch is, however, laying the blame on the door steps of the police, who he accused of dereliction of duty.

    “I believe the incident could have been avoided but the police did not manage the situation well. If the police had responded promptly and did their job well, the crisis would not have happened.”

     

  • Ekiti police justify ‘crime prevention’ raids

    Ekiti State Police Commissioner (CP) Sotonye Wakama yesterday admitted that the force had been arresting people indiscriminately across the state.

    He said: “Raiding is a universally acceptable crime prevention method, which should not be seen as brutality or abuse of human rights.”

    Speaking with reporters in his office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Wakama said those arrested in the raids were not tortured or incarcerated as was widely reported in the media.

    He said the raids prevented many crimes, including robberies and murders.

    The CP said some people, including Ilesanmi Oluwadare, Seun Agboola, Akintunde Faleye and Gbenga Faleye, were arrested and almost killed by a local vigilance group, but for police intervention.

    He said: “When the police got wind of the situation, the traditional ruler was warned of the consequences. Police detectives investigated the robbery allegation against the four, who are now being prosecuted. Two of them are ex-convicts.

    “The command has highly disciplined, professional and humane officers, who treat the public with respect and courtesy. They are mindful of the sanctity of human lives and that is why there is no single case of extra-judicial killing by the police in the state. These facts can be verified at the Ministry of Justice. Many wanted criminals have been arrested during raids and many prevented.”

    Wakama said the command would intensify its stop-and-search operation in preparation for the end-of-the-year festivities.

    The CP said many suspected gun runners, including Simon Oluchi, were apprehended during indiscriminate raids.

  • Lawyer held for ‘defrauding’ friend

    A lawyer and car dealer has been arrested by operatives of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU)in Lagos for allegedly defrauding his course mate in the university.

    It was gathered that the suspect converted to personal use the money he got from his colleague to buy a car for him.

    In a petition sent to the officer in charge of the SFU, commissioner of Police (CP) Tunde Ogunsakin, the petitioner alleged that in May in Abuja he met the suspect, who told him he was into car dealership.

    “He told me he can assist me to get a good car and since we had known for long, I trusted him and gave him money to get one for me”, he said.

    The complainant said he gave the suspect N1,035,000 out of N1.2million agreed upon for a Mercedes Benz ML 320 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), with an understanding that the balance will be paid when the vehicle is delivered.

    The petitioner said the suspect prevailed him to sell the only car he had to complete the money for the SUV.

    After collecting the money, he said, the suspect stopped picking his calls.

    The Nation learnt that following the petition, detectives swung into action and arrested the suspect. On interrogation, he allegedly confessed to crime.

    Police said the 40-year old suspect from Edo State is licensed to import vehicles.

    SFU spokesperson Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the suspect admitted that he used the complainant’s money to solve his personal financial needs. He claimed to have deposited N180, 000 for the vehicle in a car shop in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

    The suspect told investigators that he had financial challenges following the seizure of two of his vehicles by the Customs, adding that he used the petitioner’s money to solve his problems.

    He admitted that he treated the complainant shabbily, adding that he scanned pictures of the said vehicle with colour and chassis number to deceive him. The suspect said he did all this to buy time and to know if he can get money to complete payment for the car which is still in Cotonou.

    Isintume-Agu said investigation showed that the suspect intended to defraud the complainant from the onset since the money he collected was diverted to other use.

    “He also forged some vehicle documents and purportedly issued a fake number plate “DGL 724 CC” for the said vehicle just to deceive the complainant”, she said.

    Investigation, she said, is ongoing, adding that the suspect will soon be arraigned in court.