Lukkey Abawuru and Mansur Oladunjoye
4 March 2008
Lagos — INSPECTOR-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, yesterday declared that the recently- acquired Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) would assist the force to combat crimes as well reduce bank robberies across the country.
Okiro, who stated this in Lagos, however, read a riot act to policemen, warning that henceforth any of them caught indulging in corruption, would be dismissed, tried and punished.
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State also yesterday called on the various states in the federation to join hands and provide adequate security for life and property.
Governor Fashola, made the call while receiving the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Sunday Chikwe in his office.
Addressing officers and men of the Zone Two Police Command at the command's headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, Okiro also announced the introduction of e-policing in the country to enhance computer efficiency among policemen.
Speaking on his plan to curb crime, Okiro added that the 20 armoured personnel carriers, recently donated by the Bankers Committee would be deployed to strategic locations to curb incessant robberies across the country.
The police boss however stated that he has revived the Criminal Intelligent Bureau (CIB) a branch of "B' department in the force hierachy to be more proactive as well as nip in the bud criminal activities through intelligence gathering.
Okiro who described recent increase of police salary as a boost to fighting crime, assured the rank and file that he has concluded arrangements to provide private houses for them to live and discharge their duties.
Warning against corruption, Okiro enjoined them to reciprocate the salary increase by shunning corruption in any form.
According to him, "you know whom much is given much is expected from him, the government has increased your salaries. Infact, some bankers are trying to resign from banks to join police, so I warn you against corruption. If you are caught, you will be dismissed and prosecuted."
On the issue of e-policy, Okiro who lamented what he described as not been at par with foreign counterparts," said the Nigeria policemen are far behind their counterparts in computer literacy all over the world.
The police boss said that e-policing initiative will provide accurate date of criminals and suspects nabbed within a given period "I have travelled to several countries and I found out that Nigeria police lack the knowledgte of computer, this is not a good development, particularly when the whole world is computer driven, for this reason, we have opened a comoputer trainnig school at Abeokuta, Ogun State, all utilities needed for quality computer knowledge are there.
Fielding questions from journalists shortly after commissioning computer facilities at the state Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Okiro said he has also constituted IGP's Robbery Squad that will confront armed robbers all over the country saying, "we are prepared to match them fire for fire, we are prepared to curb armed robbery activities so as to key into President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's vision to position Nigeria among one of the most viable countries in the world by 2010."
Meanwhile, Governor Fashola, while calling on states to partner in the fight against crime also urged the Nigerian Army to take pains to flush out bad eggs in its fold, arguing that such move would cleanse the image of the force for the better.
He said, the force would do the country a lot of good by painstakingly looking inwards to redirect its focus as well as re-orientate its men especially on how best to live with the citizenry commonly referred to as civilians.
Assuring Gen. Chikwe of maximum support, Fashola pointed out that the state government has already taken great steps in ensuring the adequate funding of security in the state to the desired level.
"With every sense of modesty, no government has demonstrated the level of commitment to security more than our government in the past nine months," he said, lauding the Nigerian Army for its discipline and exemplary professionalism.
He further said: "Nothing really creates more challenge than when civilians see those who are to enforce the law who has the authority of the state to violate the law; it sends a very negative signal to the people who we collectively serve; it desecrates the uniform that we wear and the authority of the state."
Speaking earlier, the GOC vowed to deal decisively with any member of the force caught violating traffic rules in the state, lamenting the intimidating act of driving against traffic by some military officers.
He explained that he has stationed officers who in conjunction with officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency LASTMA will henceforth monitor military personnel to ensure full compliance with traffic regulations.
He however pleaded with the governor to provide facilities that would enhance operations of all military assignments that would be carried out in the state during his tenure, adding that the government should help in the rehabilitation of the Army Resettlement Centre, at Ipaja.
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