Dayo Johnson
16 December 2008
Akure — POLICE authorities is investigating various extra judicial killings by erring policemen in the country with a view to taking steps to flush out overzealous officials from the force. The Inspector General of Police IGP Mr. Mike Okiro made the disclosure in Akure, the Ondo State capital yesterday while answering reporters question at his Monthly Conference of Commissioners of Police across the county.
Okiro equally spoke on the police resolve to stem the incessant bank robberies in Lagos and Oyo States and corruption in the police force.
While expressing worries over the extra judicial killing, the IGP said that stiff penalty awaits police officer who takes irrational decision.
Asked specifically about the killing of a mother of three alleged to be leader of a robbery gang in Abeokuta, the IGP said that Nigerians should not jump into conclusion about the matter but that a thorough investigation would be conducted by the police.
The IGP said that the police authorities was prepared to flush out the bad eggs in the police adding that police officers are expected to be of good behaviour and should be able to take decisions that are rational.
Okiro said the police would no longer tolerate corruption among its members pointing out that stiffer penalties would be meted on officers found to engage in sharp practices
Accordig to him, the police is doing its best to fight the increasing bank robbery cases in Lagos and Oyo states but we all know that "there is no where in the world that crime can be wiped out totally, but we at this end are doing our best to make sure that crime is reduced to the barest minimum in all the states of the federation".
"We are re-strategizing to make sure that criminally minded people are seriously dealt with. We need to appreciate our efforts towards crime control which is highly demanding and tasking".
The IGP warned rank and files of the Nigerian Police to shun any act that could tarnish their names and that of the police force.
Speaking on the Conference, the police chief said the conference was convened "to assess the performance of the police from the beginning of the year. It would give us the opportunity to re-strategize ahead of the coming year and fashion out a new way of combating crime.
"The conference is necessary for us to count the good things we have done since the beginning of the year and think of how to improve on them in the coming year."
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