By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
#TrackNigeria: The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu,mni has highlighted the importance of security to social, economic and political life and stability.He also noted that security is strengthened through collaboration by all stakeholders to fight common criminals.
He stated this at the South West Stakeholders’ Security Summit held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital Tuesday.
The IGP who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General, DIG Taiwo Lakanu, fdc, expressed his delight for governors’ consciousness on the need for collaboration.
“I am particularly glad that we are now more conscious of the imperative of collaboration, the indispensability of common front to fight our common enemies who make lives miserable by their nefarious activities. Governors are central and their enviable roles pivotal to security of their states.
“The people are also cardinal in the overall security architecture. This is why everyone who desires peace, and adequate protection must establish with the police and other relevant security agencies, a symbiotic relationship that will foster, or engender the much desired peace and tranquillity in our various communities,” Adamu stated.
He added that the Force had reviewed as well as improved security strategies to deal with states in accordance with their peculiar challenges.
“As part of our efforts to address the security challenges in the south west, we have reviewed and improved on our security strategies across the country, dealing with the states according to their peculiar challenges.
“We have given additional PMF personnel, Intelligence Response Team, vehicles and other logistic support to Zone XI Osogbo to enable it deal with recent security challenges in some parts of Ondo, Osun and Oyo states,” the IGP further stated.
While assuring citizens that the Nigeria Police had put in place frameworks that would facilitate the strengthening of Operation Puff Adder as well as ensure the sustenance of its gains, IGP Adamu stressed that the current adoption of community policing would ensure effective integration of citizens in internal security frameworks.
“The current attempts at adopting and implementing the concept of Community Policing, also represent part of enduring strategies aimed at changing the policing narratives of the country.
“This will ensure the effective integration of the citizens to our internal security framework, guarantee the concept of policing by public consent and build partnership required to address peculiar communal threats,” he explained.
Earlier, the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in charge of Zone 11, Adeleye O. Oyebade, mni observed that a security summit like this portended hope that a desirable symbiotic relationship could exist and should be established between the police and the public in the interest of peace and security of the society.
According to him, the security summit was aimed at providing robust security for the good people of south west including Ondo, Osun and Oyo states under Zone 11.
“It is this passion and commitment that we believe should drive our sincere call for this type of assemblage of individuals who can share in our vision and mission to have robust security architecture, galvanized by zeal for result-oriented, intelligence-driven and problem solving policing,” Oyebade stated.
He stressed that in spite of the Police efforts to protect Nigerians and defend the nation’s democracy, “the point must be made that there are still challenges. Challenges such as kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary, cattle rustling, insurgency and other crimes and criminality still occur in some parts of the country.”
The AIG added that the Zone have been able to arrest many armed robbery suspects, kidnap suspects, suspected ritualists, burglars, and recovered cache of arms and ammunition, stolen vehicles, motorcycles, and other valuable property across the Zone especially since the launch of the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ in the three states.
According to him, the IGP recently augmented the Zone’s efforts by deploying additional men and logistics to keep pace with criminals advancement in criminality.
“Recently, the Inspector General of Police deployed additional PMF men, Patrol Vehicles and Intelligence Response Team (IRT), to augment the existing structure. This has further assisted the Zone in depleting the strength of hoodlums who engaged in criminal activities, especially along the Ibadan-Ife highway and Iwaraja axis,” he further stated.
