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Tag: IGP

  • Police promote 37,000 officers

    Police promote 37,000 officers

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has announced the promotion of over 36,000 police officers as well as the dismissal of 51 others for corrupt practices.

    Arase, who made this known yesterday in Abuja at the last strategic meeting in 2015 with senior officers, added that 56 policemen were punished for misconducts.

    He explained that the promotion became necessary after he identified stagnation on a rank as a reason engendering corruption in the police.

    On the breakdown of those promoted, the police boss said 456 police constables were promoted to the rank of corporal; 28,530 corporals to the rank of sergeants and 6,443 sergeants to inspector.

    “This figure includes personnel who have consistently risked their lives and courageously confronted insurgents in the Northeast. Most of them have been considered for special promotion and in addition, over 5,184 traffic wardens that have remained de-motivated and agitated for years due to rank stagnation have also been promoted while 995 senior officers have been promoted from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Deputy Inspector General (DIG).

    “We also gave some slot to our colleagues in the Northeast. We could not pull them out from the theatre of war. They were not on ground, but we are promoting about 1400. So, if you add it up, it’s about 37,000.”

     He added that the promotions take effect from January 1, next year.

    The police boss said between May and November, this year, the anti-corruption enforcement unit he put in place led to the dismissal of 51 officers and men for proven corrupt practices.

    On the recruitment of 10,000 officers as instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year, Arase said: “For the recruitment of the 10,000 more officers, the template has already been drawn out between our training department, the Police Service Commission and the Federal Character Commission.”

    On the electoral violence witnessed during the Bayelsa election, the IGP said: “Is it police officers that engaged in political violence? No, it is not us. We are a panacea to political violence. Why is it that we were able to conduct the same election in Kogi with the same template and were highly applauded?

    “We did the same thing in Bayelsa.”

     He advised politicians to imbibe morality and integrity in politics.

  • Lawyer sues IGP over ‘illegal’ detention

    A Lagos-BASED lawyer, Otunba Oladipo Abijo has sued the Inspector- General of Police (IGP) at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja over alleged illegal detention.

    He and Chief Damian Osuigwe, Mr. Duru David filed the suit through their lawyer, Chief Macdonald Omolemen.

    The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos; the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command; ACP Kehinde Oladele ;  CSP Suberu Sanni, Zone 2, CIID, Onikan, Lagos;  ASP Chime, Zone 2 CIID, Onikan, Lagos; Mr. Derry, Zone 2 CIID, Onikan, Lagos;  Mr. Nwigwe G., and Engr. Kingsley Esho are are the second to the ninth respondents.

    The applicants are praying the court to declare that their detention on the alleged instigation of the eighth and ninth respondents is unlawful and illegal and should be declared void.

    The applicants asked the court for an order of injunction restraining the respondents or agents from continuing to harass, intimidate or arrest, detain or threaten their lives.

    They also want the respondents restrained from invading the applicants’ peace, privacy, residence or seize their properties or to further cause breach of the fundamental rights of the applicants in any manner at all or whatsoever.

    They also asked for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the eigth and ninth respondents from erecting a communication mast because of its cancerous effects on the residents of 7th Avenue, HI Close, Festac Town, Lagos or taking any further steps or actions pending the determination of this suit.

    In addition, they asked for an order  restraining the respondents from taking any further steps against the applicants pending the final determination of this suit.

    The applicants sought N5million damages against the respondents jointly and severally for unlawful detention, harassment, intimidation and continued threats to the applicants.

    The applicants claimed that trouble began when the residents of 7th Avenue, HI Close, Festac Town, Lagos discovered that the eighth and ninth respondents were erecting a communication mast on the eighth respondent’s property.

    They averred that considering the danger mast normally pose in congested areas like theirs, the Chairman of the Residents Association instructed the Secretary to call an urgent general meeting where the issue of mast was brought up and the eighth respondent apologized by stating that he was ignorant of the effect of communication mast and promised to discontinue same.

    The applicants alleged that they were detained by the fifth to seventh respondents in a cell where hardened criminals are kept and that they harassed and beat them at the instance of the Police.

    Although the matter has been assigned to Justice Funmi Adeniyi, no date has been fixed for mention while the respondents are yet to file any statement of defense since the matter was filed two weeks ago.

     

     

  • IGP urges officers on public confidence

    IGP urges officers on public confidence

    Inspector General of Police Mr. Solomon Arase has urged policemen to build a mutual friendship and confidence with the public to enable them carry out their duties successful.

    He gave the directive in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, while addressing his men and officers during his working visit to the state.

    The police boss warned policemen to avoid any immoral acts capable of affecting the image of the police negatively.

    Modern policing, he said, required policemen to build public confidence in themselves and police institutions as well as get closer to the people by educating them on the role everyone should play to ensure a peaceful and secured society.

    He emphasised that “to have a secure and happiest society, officers most build synergy with groups, such as students’ unions, traditional institutions, market women, football clubs, youth groups and others to enable them get  information of any happening in the environment”.

    Arase added that “constant flow of information from society to police institution was what makes policing easy and successful”.

    He assured his men and officers that he would continue to explore and initiate policies and programmes to enhance the police service and social life of the officers during and after service.

    Arase said: “I have much concern for my junior officers, particularly from inspectors down to the rank-and-file. In view of that, I introduced scholarship scheme for their children. And our housing scheme accorded them special priority.”

     

  • IGP appoints new Deputy Force PRO

    IGP appoints new Deputy Force PRO

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, has appointed Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sogbeba West as the new Deputy Force Public Relations Officer.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olabisi Kolawole, in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The statement said that West, who holds a diploma in Security Strategies, hails from Rivers.

    It said that West served in Enugu Command as a Personal Assistant to the then Commissioner of Police of the Command.

    He had also headed the Special Anti-robbery Squad, Enugu, as well as worked in Taraba Command.

    The statement said that West also served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Kosovo and East Timor.

    “His experience in policing has seen him through in Nasarawa, Rivers and Kogi Commands,“ it said.

    He replaces CSP Abayomi Shogunle who now heads the Crime Response Unit (CRU).

     

  • AGF, IGP, EFCC, others ask Saraki not to politicize trial

    AGF, IGP, EFCC, others ask Saraki not to politicize trial

    The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase and others have asked  Senate President, Bukola Saraki  not to politicize his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    They advised him to direct his energy at defending the charge against him rather than imputing political motive to his trail.

    They faulted Saraki’s claim that his trial was politically motivated.

    In a counter affidavit they filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja in response to a fresh suit by Saraki, they denied being influenced by any political consideration to initiate the 13-count false asset declaration charge against him (Saraki) before the CCT.

    The AGF, EFCC, IGP, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Diri and Muslim Hassan (a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice) said Saraki’s trial was informed by the outcome of a joint investigation conducted by the EFCC, Department of State Services (DSS), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) between 2003 and 2015.

    They said the investigation revealed among others, that Saraki lied in the information he presented in the CCB Forms he completed between 2003 and 2011 in Ikoyi and Ikeja, Lagos, using third party companies, in which he had interest, with the intension of concealing his interests in such property.

    They gave the name of the companies as: Tiny Tee Limited, Vitti Oil Limited, Skyview Properties Limited and Carlisle properties.

    The AGF, EFCC, IGP, Diri and Hassan added that the Senate President lied in his claim that an official of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Bulus Micheal informed him that his trial was politically motivated. They said no official of the ministry bears such name.

    “The charges preferred against him before the CCT were based on the conviction that a prima facie case was disclosed after investigation and not on any political consideration. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th and 11th respondents (AGF, EFCC, IGP, Diri and Hassan) are not politicians and they have no interest in who becomes the Senate President.

    “The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th and 11th respondents do not take instructions from any politician, but are public officers and public offices, who are only interested in the performance of their statutory and constitutional duties.

    “No one has made or is making any effort to trump up allegations against the applicant, but the charges that were preferred against him were preferred upon being satisfied that a prima facie case was disclosed against him.”

    They denied Saraki’s allegation that his rights were being violated with his trial before the CCT, arguing that aside that the charges were validly preferred, the Court of Appeal, Abuja has, in its judgment of October 30, 2015 upheld the CCT’s position that it possessed the jurisdiction to try Saraki based on the charge.

    In their notice of objection, they challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear Saraki’s fresh suit, noting that the reliefs he was seeking in the new suit are contained in a similar suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/775/2015, which he earlier filed before the court, and which has now been assigned to Justice Evoh Chukwu of Court 8 for hearing.

    Saraki is, by the new suit, seeking to stop all the respondents, including the CCT, CCB from proceeding with his trial. He accused them of violating his rights.

    Last Monday, Justice Abdukadir Abadulkafarati heard an ex-parte motion for interim restraining order filed along with the new fundamental rights enforcement suit by Saraki.

    The judge declined to grant the applicant’s prayer, but instead, directed that the respondents be served with the motion and other processes in the case for them to show cause Friday (November 20) why the order sought by Saraki should not be granted.

    Justice Abdulkafarati found that not all the defendants were served by the applicant as ordered by the court. He refused argument by Saraki’s lawyer, Ajibola   Oluyede that he take further steps in the case.

    The judge insisted that every respondent in the case must be served before any further steps could be taken in the case.

    He consolidated the originating summons and preliminary objection, in view of his decision to hear all the processes simultaneously, and adjourned to December 2for hearing.

    The judge ordered that hearing notices be issued on the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th respondents (ICPC, CCB, CCT, CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar, Atadaeze Agu Azda –CCT member, and Sam Saba – Director General, CCB), who are yet to be served as earlier ordered by the court.

     

  • IGP to police officers: Shoot civilian, go to jail

    IGP to police officers: Shoot civilian, go to jail

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, on Thursday, warned police officers to exercise high sense of caution in handling guns while dealing with unarmed civilians.

    Arase gave the warning in Abeokuta while addressing policemen at the state police headquarters in Eleweeran.

    He warned that any policeman who shoots an unarmed member of the public would be jailed.

    “Shoot a civilian, go to jail,’’ he warned and directed that any police officer who engaged in indiscriminate shooting should be arraigned within 24 hours of his arrest.

    Arase also warned police commissioners not to send officers with psychological challenges on assignments.

    The IGP warned police officers particularly those in convoy to stop using horse whips on members of the public, saying, “Nigerians are not animals.”

    He announced that the Police authorities had concluded plans to construct 25,000 post retirement housing estates for its officers across the country.

    He directed the state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali to look for suitable titled landed property where such estate could be built in the state.

    He said that 36, 000 officers had benefited from promotional courses during his tenure as the IGP, adding that those with additional qualifications were being considered.

    He reiterated his determination to improve the welfare of men and officers of the force.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the state CP requested the Police authorities to set up six additional area commands in the state.

    Ali also requested for additional manpower to enable the command check the increasing security challenges in the state.

  • IGP: we won’t spare erring politicians

    IGP: we won’t spare erring politicians

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has vowed to “amputate” any politician, who attempts to disrupt the electoral process in the Kogi and Bayelsa elections.

    Kogi election is slated for Saturday and Bayelsa’s will hold on December 5.

    The police chief, who spoke yesterday in Abuja at a meeting with squadron commanders in preparation for the elections, said: “Gentlemen, we are on the threshold of elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states. Our competence will once again be tested in this assignment and we cannot afford to fail.

    “As we drive the process, let me warn that any person, who  attempts to test the will of the Force by engaging in any act that negates the electoral law or engaging in any crime with intent to derail or compromise the integrity of the exercise will be isolated and dealt with.

    “People who think they can use the police to win election should have a rethink. They have to go to the field, contest and win the support of the electorate.

    “My own job is very easy. I am to provide a level-playing field and ensure security. Any politician, who tests my will, will be dealt with. They will be amputated, I can assure you.”

    The IGP warned police officers and other security agents, who would be deployed to complement the police, to perform, saying personnel found to be engaged in acts demeaning of their official calling would be punished.

    He said: “I have told my officers that if they make themselves available for any politician to use them and assault the electoral process, disciplinary measures will be taken against them. The era of such things is gone. We are professional security managers and that is exactly what we are going to do.”

    Speaking on the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure credible elections, the IGP said: “I can assure you that the President has not given us any order to compromise the results of the elections. Instead, he has instructed us to ensure that credible polls are conducted.”

  • Elections: I will amputate any erring politician – IGP

    Elections: I will amputate any erring politician – IGP

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase has vowed to amputate any politician who attempts to compromise the electoral process in the forthcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa State.

    Kogi election is slated for 21st November, 2015 while Bayelsa is scheduled for 5th December, 2015.

    The Police chief said this Monday in Abuja during a meeting with Squadron Commanders in preparation for the elections and other issues that affects the Force.

    Addressing the men, the IGP said: “Again, gentlemen, we are at the threshold of another election in Kogi and Bayelsa States scheduled to hold on 21 November, 2015 and 5th December, 2015 respectively. Our resolve and competence will once again be tested in this onerous assignment and we cannot afford to fail.

    “As we drive the process, let me warn that any person that attempts to test the will of the Force by engaging in any act that negates the electoral law or engages in any crime with intent to derail or compromise the integrity of the exercise will be isolated and firmly dealt with.

    Continuing, Arase said: “Anybody and politician who thinks that they can use the police to win election, I think they have a second thinking coming. They have to go to the field and go and contest, win the hearts and minds of the electorates.

    “My own job is very easy, I am to provide a level playing field, emplace a robust security architecture that nobody will be able to test and I just mentioned it in my address, any politician who tests my will, will be severely dealt with, they will be amputated, I can assure you that.”

    The Police chief also warned his officers and other security agencies that will be deployed to complement the Police to situate their operations within the professional ethics stating that any personnel found to be engaged in any act demeaning of their official callings will be similarly dealt with.

    According to him: “I have also told my officers that if they make themselves available for any politician to use them and assault the electoral process, then severe disciplinary measures will be taken against you. The era of those things are already past, we are professional security managers and that is exactly what we are going to do.

    Speaking on the commitment of the President to ensure a credible election, the IGP said: “I can assure you that the president has not given us any order to compromise the result of the elections that will be conducted in the two states, instead, he has insisted that we must go and ensure that credible elections are conducted wherever it is going to be conducted and he repeatedly said it that he has been a victim of electoral manipulation and he cannot see himself now in this position supporting the same thing that has happened to him as a president.”

    On the deployment of men to Northeast, Arase told his men to get ready because President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the procurement of equipment to curb terrorism in the Northeast.

    He said: “ I can authoritatively tell you that the president has actually ordered  us to get equipment that we need to move into the Northeast and not just moving into the Northeast with our bare hands, the necessary things that we actually need for our officers to perform and that is why I can authoritatively convoke this meeting with our operational arm of the Nigeria Police Force to tell them that they should get ready and that once we have these equipments, we are going to roll in and ensure that civil authority is restored in those areas.

    On the casualty figure of Police officers since the inception of terrorism in Nigeria, he said: “Casualties are not things that lend themselves to mathematical figures, it keeps rising and I keep losing men everyday not only to insurgency but to other factors like robbery and we must know that there must be casualty when it comes to cases of internal security.

    “I can tell you that the casualty figure is high, we have been trying to carry out some research to know how many widows we have because from the widows we have, we will be able to ascertain the number of some officers that have been lost.”

    He however noted that the police management has vowed to take care of family those who have died by incorporating scholarship scheme to take care of the children of dead officers.

  • Community Policing: IGP seeks support of traditional institution

    Community Policing: IGP seeks support of traditional institution

    The Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase says the police cannot make meaningful headway in community policing without working closely with the traditional institution.

    He said the police needed the cooperation and support ‎of the traditional institution to ensure the success of community policing which he described as the pivot of ensuring security of lives and property of citizens across the world.

    ‎Arase, who made the remark Wednesday in Sokoto at an all stakeholders’ interactive session held at the Sokoto police Officers Mess, said it was time to depart from conventional policing to a more effective, efficient and proactive community policing as is obtained across the globe.

    “We are ready to give Nigerians the best police force that has respect and confidence in the citizens by ensuring peace and security ‎of lives and property.

    “I can assure you that the President‎ is committed to a better and effective policing nationwide. And I will like to state that Nigerians should be patient on the approval to recruit more police because the President want to ensure a better atmosphere for those to be trained and equipped for the job,” he said.

    The interactive session which drew attendance from across, groups, associations, PCRC, unions, traditional rulers‎ also raised issues on welfare, attitude, and general conduct of the police especially at check points and on patrol duties.

    According to the IGP” the traditional institution is the hub ‎in community policing, explaining that “we need their advice to work and ensure desirable results,” he said.

    Arase who is on tour of commands, nation-wide also noted that certain matters cannot be resolved or addressed without the support of the traditional institution‎, stressing that “no society can effectively police it’s community without partnering with the traditional institution.‎”

    He maintained that “even if you have 1000 policemen in a community, they cannot be as effective as possible or expected without the cooperation of the traditional institution.”

    “They have to rely on the traditional institution‎ to be able to perform‎ in view of the fact that they are the custodians of the culture, values, norms and tradition as well as the terrains,” he pointed out.

    He directed all Divisional Police Officers and other top officers to focus on period monthly meetings with communities in their respective areas of operations, “this will assist in the maintenance of peace and security as well effective community policing,” he added.

  • IGP Arase bags integrity award

    IGP Arase bags integrity award

    The Inspector–General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase has been awarded for his achievements in the Nigeria Police over the years.

    The integrity award was bestowed on Arase by the management of Lagos Network Newspaper.

    Presenting the award, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Lagos Network, Otunba Adebayo said Arase epitomised the total embodiment of effective and pro-active policing in the country.

    He hailed the IGP for transforming the Nigeria Police through certain measures he introduced into its operation since he assumed office.

    Arase praised Adebayo for being a wonderful police affairs journalist to emulate.