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Tag: Mohammed Adamu

  • Governors row over Ruga

    Controversy continued to rage on Sunday on the suspended Cattle Settlemen (Ruga) policy.

    The position of two governors in the North – Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)  – contradicted that of their colleagues in the Southeast.

    Sule and Matawalle said there was no going back on the implementation of the controversial policy in their states. Their Southeast counterparts foreclosed the implementation of cattle settlements in their states.  They spoke through the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum (SGF), David Umahi, who doubles as Ebonyi State governor.

    The Southeast governors reiterated their stand not to yield any land in their states for the Ruga programme.

    According to them, in response to the emerging security challenges, they have decided to set up both a committee and a centre for Southeast Integrated Monitoring/Intelligence Gathering to be centrally located in Enugu.

    The governors, whose decisions were articulated in a communiqué read by Umahi,  said they would establish forest guards in each state of the zone and roads cleared up to 50 metres into the bush to have a clear view of roads ahead.

    According to them, the security committee will also address the safety of fuel pipeline route to Enugu depot to ensure that pumping of petroleum products in Enugu depot resumes in the shortest possible time.

    The governors discussed the comparative advantages of agriculture and its attendant benefits to the region.

    They said: “The forum therefore resolved to pool funds together to fund our people who are interested in rice, cassava, cow rearing, piggery, goat rearing, poultry, fishery and some other cash crops permitted by our soil.”

    Read Also: RUGA will not happen in Edo – Obaseki

    On the status of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, the governors commended their Enugu State counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for his numerous interventions in addressing concerns raised by FAAN and in ensuring that the airport is functional.

    They, however, decried the deplorable state of the airport’s runway and pleaded with the Federal Government to consider their request for the reconstruction of the runway.

    “While calling on the Federal Government to take more meaningful action on Enugu-Onitsha Road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, Owerri-Onitsha Road, Okigwe-Owerri Road and Owerri-Umuahia Road, at the same time, we commend the Federal Government for the steady progress on the second Niger Bridge project”, the governors said.

    In Nasarawa, the governor insisted that the state government will continue with the implementation of the project.

    He spoke on Sunday while hosting the leadership of Fulani residents in the state to appreciate the governor’s efforts to sustain the peaceful atmosphere being experienced in the state between herders and farmers.

    Sule said: “The Ruga Settlement Project was not brought to the state by anybody. But in my quest at searching for means that could bring a lasting peace in the state, I personally went to the federal Ministry of Agriculture and understudy the pros and cons of the project where I discovered some substantial benefits derivable from it when I subsequently demanded that it should be established in Nasarawa State.

    “It was after understanding the benefits that Ruga settlement would bring to the state that I summoned traditional rulers of the state to discuss the issue which the traditional rulers in their unanimous decision assented to the programme. We in Nasarawa State are going ahead with the Ruga project as an experiment for other states of the federation to emulate.”

    Speaking, the Sarkin Fulani of Nasarawa State, Senator Walid Jibrin, said that the Fulani were in full support of Ruga Settlement Project which is; embraced by the government of Nasarawa State in order to mitigate the persistent conflicts between herdsmen and farmers.

    Jibrin, who doubles as Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, begged other ethnic groups, especially Igbo and Yoruba, to give the Ruga Settlement Project a chance.

    Matawalle insisted on going ahead with the project in Zamfara.

    He told State House reporters after the Presidential Policy Retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja: “In Zamfara, we will adopt Ruga in our strategy to address the herders/farmers crisis; it is a developmental project on ranch and we are ready for it.”

    His Plateau counterpart, Simon Lalong, identified tackling insecurity as the most important thing he took away from the retreat.

    Lalong said: “I had mentioned here that when I was elected as the chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, I said my priority is security. So, part of what we discussed at the retreat is how to tackle insecurity as presented by the Inspector-General (IG), Mohammed Adamu.

    “The second aspect is education. We mentioned to the President the Almajiri system. So, these were the things that all of us have taken in and, very soon, I will convene the northern summit for us to collectively discuss because at the Northern Governors Forum I have already set up a committee chaired by the governor of Katsina to look at generally insecurity in the North.”

  • Fatoyinbo: IGP orders DIG at FCID to oversee investigation

    THE Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has ordered the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Michael Ogbizi, to immediately take over the investigation into the alleged rape case against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA).

    The IGP said the order would ensure a speedy, thorough, fair and impartial investigation into the rape allegation by Mrs Busola Dakolo, wife of singer Timi Dakolo, against Fatoyinbo.

    A statement in Abuja by the Force spokesman DCP Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), said the DIG will also take over the investigation of Fatoyinbo against the Dakolos.

    The DIG, as part of the investigation, will provide a personal supervision to all parts of the investigation to ensure justice and fair-hearing to all the parties, with each case being treated purely on its merit.

    Read Also: Timi Dakolo to Fatoyinbo: I will give you war

    Operatives from the Special Tactical Squad (STS) from Abuja, on Saturday, served a letter of invitation on the home of the Dakolos in Lagos.

    Following criticism that trailed the manner in which the operatives of the STS unit served the letter on the Dakolos, the police said: “The IGP has directed that the procedure which the police operatives adopted in serving invitation letters on Timi and Busola Dakolo on Saturday, July 20, be subjected to rigorous and discreet scrutiny to ascertain its conformity with police standard operating procedure and international best practices.”

    The police chief urged members of the public and the parties involved in the cases to remain calm and patient, assured of professionalism in the matter.

     

  • Buhari orders IGP to protect all Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received briefing from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, over Shiites bloody protests in Abuja.

    Buhari at the closed door meeting directed the IGP to take steps to protect all Nigerians wherever they may be.

    Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting, the IGP said: “We came this morning to brief Mr. President on the security situation in the country, especially the activities of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). Just to give him an update of what is happening in the country vis a vis their activities.

    Read Also: Just in: Buhari summons IGP over Shi’ites protests

    “Specifically, we briefed him of the incessant act coming out of this group of people, protesting  here and there. We briefed him on the fact that we have been able to curtail their excesses and to let him understand that everything is under control.”

    On the President’s reaction, the IGP said: “The President asked us to make sure we provide security for every citizen of this country and not to leave any space that some group of people will create breakdown of law and order.

    “So, the charge by Mr. president is that we must provide security for every Nigerian,” he stated

  • IGP restricts protest in Abuja to Unity Fountain

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has restricted all forms of protests within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the Unity Fountain.

    He explained that the order was part of efforts by the police to ensure safety and security of life and property, the free flow of traffic and protection of commerce and other economic activities.

    It also said the order will assist personnel of the Force to coordinate and handle peaceful protests.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by the Force spokesman Frank Mba, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), urged intending protesters to steer clear of all critical national infrastructure, especially the Three Arms Zone and other sensitive security areas.

    The statement said intending protesters are at liberty to assemble and conduct peaceful protests within the Unity Fountain, the authorised protest zone.

    Highlighting the reasons for the directive, it said: “The restriction follows series of protests, such as the one on October 30, 2018, in various parts of Abuja, which brought the Federal Capital city to a standstill, crumbling economic activities and inflicting untold hardship on motorists and the general public.

    Read Also: IGP: We will fish out killers

    “A similar protest in the same month led to the setting ablaze of a police patrol vehicle at Banex Plaza, Abuja, traumatising innocent citizens.

    “This year, on July 9, another protest at the National Assembly, Abuja, led to an unprovoked attack on police officers on legitimate national assignment, where nine of them sustained injury, and the massive damage to public and private property.

    “The Force is not unaware of the African Charter on Human Rights, which the Nigerian state has ratified and the Constitutional provisions relating to the fundamental human rights, particularly freedom of expression, right to peaceful assembly and freedom of movement.

    “It is important, however, to note that these rights are not absolute and are constitutionally moderated by the genuine concerns for public safety, public order and for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.”

    “Needless to state that it is within the prerogative of the police to regulate activities of protesters who have the tendency to cause damage to life and property, particularly to innocent and non-protesting citizens, who also have equal right to exercise their freedom, unmolested by the protesting group.

    “It is against this backdrop that the IGP seeks the cooperation and understanding of would-be protesters and the general public.”

  • ‘Frequent change of police commissioners affects security’

    The Concerned Indigenes of Anambra has lamented that premature removal of Police Commissioners (COP) in Anambra State was disrupting the state’s security strategies.

    It noted that the police hierarchy had changed COPs in the state four times since July 8, 2017. The group, therefore, urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to stick to the Police Service Commission (PSC) Policy Guidelines, which, according to it, recommends a minimum of two-year tenure for a state COP.

    A statement by its Chairman Joseph Ndukauba and Secretary Chike Obodoeze reads: “Frequent transfers of Commissioners of Police and instability of their tenure may lead to non-effectiveness of the police top hierarchy in the state as they will not be sure of how long they may stay in office, before being moved again, (thus) they may not be keen on effective planning and supervision of their strategies for ensuring adequate security.

    Read Also: Bandits ambush policemen in Katsina

    “Between July 8, 2017 and July 5, 2019, a period of two years, three Commissioners of Police were posted to the state – Mr. Garba Umar (July 8, 2017- February 12, 2019); Dandaura Mustapha (January 12, 2019 to July 5, 2019) and then the new CP Abah John who has just assumed duty.

    “Subsection V of the PSC Policy Guidelines stipulates that ‘the person appointed to office as Commissioner of Police of a state shall serve for a period not less than two years, except for the reason of retirement or death. The group wonders why in the case of Anambra State, the tenure lasts for only a few months.”

    It, however, praised past CPs for keeping the state safe and making it one of the safest and most peaceful states in the country.

  • Embattled senator surrenders to police probe

    Senator Elisha Ishaku Abbo, who was seen in a viral video assaulting a lady at a sex toy shop in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has surrendered himself to the police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for investigation.

    The police reportedly detained him on Thursday.

    Following public outcry and protest against his action, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, on Wednesday, ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault on a female Nigerian by the senator.

    The IGP specifically directed the FCT Police Commissioner Bala Ciroma to provide a personal and round-the-clock supervision of every facet of the investigation.

    These include the forensic analysis of the video currently in circulation as well as the actions and inactions of the policeman seen in the video footage.

    As a follow-up to the order, Ciroma said an invitation letter was written to Abbo.

    Read Also: Five things you may not know about Senator Elisha Abbo

    The police commissioner, who confirmed the development to The Nation that the senator had surrendered himself at the command, said Abbo got to the command yesterday afternoon.

    He added that investigation had begun into the matter.

    Ciroma said: “Yes, it is true that he has surrendered himself. He has already come in and we are investigating. He came into the command this afternoon (yesterday) after we sent an invitation letter to him, based on the directive of the IGP, and he honoured it.”

    It was unclear whether or not the senator would be detained after interrogation.

     

     

  • IG deploys detectives to fish out killers

    The Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu on Monday ordered a massive manhunt for the gunmen who killed four policemen in Bayelsa State.

    The attack on Agudama Ekpetiama Police Station in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, left two other officers injured.

    Condemning the act in a statement in Abuja by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), the IG said the attack resulted in the death of the Divisional Police Office (DPO), Ola Rosanla, a Superintendent of Police (SP) with three other officers and left two others injured.

    Adamu, while pledging that no stone would be left unturned towards apprehending the perpetrators, also ordered the immediate deployment of crack detectives to Yenagoa.

    The detectives were drawn from the IGP-Intelligence Response Unit (IRT), the Forensic and Homicide sections of the FCID and Special Operatives of the Marine Police Department to complement the efforts of the Bayelsa Police Command in carrying out discrete investigation into the unfortunate incident.

    Read Also: Man accused of hiring assassin

    The IG paid tribute to the four fallen officers and condoled with members of their families.

    The officers, according the IG, paid the supreme price in the service of their fatherland. He described the incident as a classic example of the risk and sacrifices the police are exposed to in their daily task of protecting our homeland.

    The IG also urged the Agudama Ekpetiama Community and the entire people of Bayelsa State to remain calm and to avail the Police with credible information that will help the Law Enforcement agencies to apprehend the criminals.

  • IGP hosts ECOWAS Police chiefs to tackle transnational crimes

    As part of efforts to tackle transnational terrorism, kidnapping, human trafficking and other crimes, the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu will host Police Chiefs from the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS).

    The meeting which will hold in Abuja on 14th-16th of May 2019, is expected to avail all security chiefs across West Africa to re-commit themselves to collaborate more effectively towards tackling trans-border crimes and other regional security threats.

    Other crimes that will be the discussed during the meeting include; violent extremism, illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons, maritime security, herders and farmers’ conflict amongst others.

    The event will have in attendance the INTERPOL Secretary General, representatives of African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), members of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa and representatives from Committee of Chiefs of Police from Central Africa.

    Read Also: IGP: Begging bandits not a security strategy

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Monday by the Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba.

    The West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) is a structure under ECOWAS,  designed to bring together heads of Police of ECOWAS Member States to exchange and share intelligence and collaborate with one another in the fight against criminality and Security threats in West Africa.

    WAPCCO’s areas of interest include the tackling of illicit trade on drugs, enforcement of immigration laws, policing of marine space, customs activities, and financial intelligence amongst others.

     

     

  • Adamu’s surrender

    Last Sunday, on his return from his 10-day London trip, President Buhari joked that Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had lost weight because of his exertions over mounting insecurity.

    The police chief has plenty to worry about and it might be no exaggeration to suggest that he’s near the end of his tether. News reports claim that at his appearance before senators this week, he said that given shortage of funds, inadequate equipment and personnel, there was little the police could do to curb the rising wave of criminality across the country.

    At the three-hour meeting with the lawmakers, he also promised a massive shake-up in the force to stop killings, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other crimes. In a matter of weeks officers of the ranks of Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) would be moved around.

    I would be surprised if the senators left the briefing feeling reassured that we are about to turn a corner regarding the security crisis.

    Moving senior officers around is at best a cosmetic gesture that creates the impression something is being done without much being accomplished. It makes the IG look busy without much changing.

    The roots of the problem are far too deep and only something fundamental can remedy the situation. At the core of it all is the parlous state of the economy which is driving many of the less well-adjusted to crime.

    Unfortunately, whatever economic measures are to be taken would not have a magical effect of making the problem disappear overnight.

    That means short term measures by security agencies to deal with the more serious manifestations of criminality. For that to work, the funding gap Adamu spoke about needs to be addressed urgently. The Federal Government clearly cannot fund the police on its own. In recent years state governments and even corporate organisations have had to intervene in providing resources like operational cars and motorcycles.

    The IG spoke of shortage of manpower and said plans were underway to hire 10,000 more officers. But even this is paltry in the face of the problem confronting the nation.

    Ultimately, the solutions lies in fundamentally restructuring the way the country is policed. The security challenges of today’s Nigeria are different from what they were in the 60s and 70s. We cannot continue to use the same models; we must change with the times.

    We keep skirting around the issue of state police but everything points to it as the panacea. For one thing, we can double the number of men available to police the country even if each state has a modest force of just 10,000 men.

    The state forces can them focus on smaller crimes likes burglaries, traffic offences and civil disputes, while the federal police can take on the kidnappers and criminals who carry on their activities across state borders.

    We can tear a page from the American model where the municipal police forces deal with all manner of crimes, while the FBI handles federal crimes like kidnapping.

    Aside that famous agency, there is the ATF – the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives whose responsibilities include the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives; acts of arson and bombings; and illegal trafficking and tax evasion of alcohol and tobacco products. You also have the US Marshalls Service thrown into the mix.

    We now face multiple threats to our internal security – everything from terrorism to kidnapping to extreme banditry. We necessarily must increase the number of agencies tackling these threats. Using just our antiquated police structure to fight these criminals who are multiplying like germ culture, is an outdated way of fighting the problem.

  • IG launches counter-kidnapping strategies

    To curb the spate of kidnapping across the country, the Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu on Thursday launched new counter-kidnapping strategies.

    According to the Police, the new strategies, which are purposeful and intelligence-driven, are targeted at identifying, locating and dismantling kidnapping gangs across the nation and bringing the kidnappers and their collaborators to justice.

    The Force also said it is designed to complement and strengthen the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ currently going on in several States of the federation.

    In a statement in Abuja by the Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba explained: “The operation will involve the deployment of undercover operatives, decoy operations and high-level tactical missions with active participation of operatives drawn from the conventional Police Units, the Force Intelligence Unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS), the Special Anti-kidnapping Squads and the Police Tactical Units comprising the Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and the Special Forces.”

    Meanwhile, the Force said 545 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers from different parts of the country have been arrested between January and the first week of May, 2019.

    The Police said it also recovered 105 assorted weapons plus a large cache of ammunition.

    Giving details of efforts made recently to tackle kidnapping, Mba said Police operatives from ‘Operation Puff Adder’ rescued unhurt 27 kidnap victims including 5 Chinese nationals.

    The Chinese were rescued after spending about  20 days in captivity.

    Read Also: Senate grills IGP on terrorism, banditry, kidnapping

    The Police said two of the kidnappers died from injuries sustained during exchange of gun fire with the Police in the course of the rescue mission.

    “The Chinese citizens who were earlier kidnapped on 15th April, 2019 in Bobi, Niger State were safely and successfully rescued on 5th of May, 2019 from a forest in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, following painstaking investigative efforts, including both air and ground surveillance.

    “22 other kidnap victims were rescued in Zamfara State and other parts of the country.”

    The IGP, while commending the general public for their understanding and supports so far, reassured the end to violent crimes and other sundry criminal activities is in sight.

    He promised that the Force under his leadership will continue to work with other relevant stakeholders in the task of making Nigeria safer and better.