Nigeria Content Online

Aware of the
challenges of election monitoring, the Inspector General of Police,
Ogbonna Onovo, has directed the Assistant Inspectors General of Police
(AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) manning all the respective
zones and state commands across the nation to start preparing their men
for the next general elections.

Deputy Inspector
General of Police in charge of ‘D’ (Investigations) Department, Israel
Ajao, disclosed this yesterday in Ibadan, during a working visit to
Zone 11 of the force. He said Mr Onovo’s order was designed to make the
men of the Nigeria Police well prepared in order to play their role
more effectively in the coming elections.

Mr. Ajao said
special trainings are going on in all commands across the country to
properly ground policemen on what are expected of them when they are
assigned to monitor elections.

“We want our men to
know what to do and what not to do during elections. That is why the IG
has directed all the AIGs and CPs to start the special training for the
men, so that we will get things right this time,” he said.

The police boss
also revealed that the array of commendations coming the way of the
Nigerian Police in respect of the conduct their men in the last two
elections in Anambra and Abuja confirmed that the police can discharge
its duties during elections effectively.

Speaking on crime
fighting, which is the core of policing, Mr. Ajao said the IG has
ordered that the police start employing the old beat system to reduce
crime to the barest level in the country.

The system demands
from the DPOs good understanding of the environment where they operate,
as well as friendly rapport with the residents to the extent that
useful information that could lead to foiling of crime at planning
stages are regularly available to the police.

Though, he agreed
that many of the crimes committed in the urban centres are often
executed with sophisticated weapons, Mr. Ajao confirmed that the beat
system remains the most effective means of fighting crime in most of
the police divisions in the country.

According to him,
the system will make the police more proactive as they would not be
waiting for crimes to be committed before acting.

Back to the beats

“The police should
be proactive,” said Mr. Ajao. “We should not be waiting till crimes are
committed before we act. The DPOs need to be friendly with members of
their communities to be able to get information that would be useful in
foiling crimes. The DPOs should be our eyes and ears in the communities
where they operate.

He also informed
that the police will not take things easy for any vigilante group who
operates without the knowledge of the police as this brings more
problems than solution to crime fighting.

Mr. Ajao said the
DPOs have been directed to register all vigilante groups in their
areas, including information about members of the groups.

Commenting on
recent attacks on police stations, the police boss said the IG has
directed that security be beefed up at all stations and police barracks
across the country to forestall possible attack from members of the
public.

“A situation where
people will attack police stations and cart away our arms is no more
acceptable to us,” he said. “If this continues to happen, we are
sending wrong signals to the public. If we cannot protect our stations
and barrack, how do we protect them?”

In order to arrest
the situation, Mr. Ajao said the IG has directed that special security
be provided for police stations, divisions and barracks to ward off
invasion from disgruntled elements.

Cowardly officers

Although the police
is desirous of having well educated men within its fold, the DIG hinted
that the institution has stopped unofficial schooling by its men.

“The police would
expect whoever wants to go back to school to apply properly and secure
approval before going,” he said, adding that the arrangement would give
the police the privilege of knowing officers that were on duty..

He said such record
will allow the institution to maximize the use of its scanty manpower,
which is said to be affecting its operation currently.

Instructing the
DPOs to reduce number of policemen in their administrative sections,
Mr. Ajao noted that majority of policemen carrying files at police
stations could be trained to combat crime in the society.

He also announced
the police leadership’s renewed zero tolerance to acts of cowardice,
saying but for the cowardice of some members of the Ogun State police
command, the area commander killed during last year’s crisis in
Ijebu-Ife would not have suffered the fate.

Baba Adisa Bolanta,
Oyo Command’s Commissioner of Police, said the command has embarked on
training of its men, especially in the area of weapons handling to
avoid cases of accidental discharge.

Mr Ajao was accompanied by Mohammed Yesufu, AIG of Zone 11, comprising Oyo, Osun and Ondo States police commands.