By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Aug. 22 2023 (NAN) The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday in Ibadan urged Nigerians to stop taking complaints against Police officers to the social media.
Egbetokun gave the advice during a stakeholders meeting at the Headquarters of the Police Command in Oyo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders meeting was attended by representatives of traditional and religious leaders and the leadership of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).
There was also in attendance leaders of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Igbo and Hausa communities, among others.
Egbetokun said Nigerians should feel free to report any complaint against Police officers to the Commissioners of Police or any other senior officer that would ensure justice is done.
“If you have any complaint against the Police, don’t go to the social media. Go to the Commissioners of Police in the state.
“Some of our men will misbehave, we cannot guarantee that all of them will behave well. Report to the CPs or any superior officer who will take it up and ensure justice is done.
“There are a lot of falsehood going on on the social media. If you need clarification, go to the Commissioners of Police or Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs),” he said.
Egbetokun said his mission of Police administration was to put in place professional, service-driven, rule of law-compliant and people-friendly police officers.
He said he was desirous of having a Police Force that would be able to respond adequately to the dynamics of crime and criminality in the society and “ensure citizens sleep with their two eyes closed.
“Modern policing is community-based, technology-driven and intelligence-led. We are going to focus on community in all the states of the federation. But we are shifting on new policing strategies.
“We are going to adopt community policing by taking cognisance of certain peculiarities of each community through collaboration with other security agencies and state-owned security outfits to fight and reduce crime,” the Acting Inspector-General of Police said.
He called for the cooperation and support of all stakeholders to achieve results and rid the society of crime and criminality.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PCRC, Ibrahim Olaniyan, pledged the readiness of the committee to keying into the community policing strategy of the IGP.
Also speaking, the Chairman of CCII, Alhaji Niyi Ajewole, said Oyo state and Nigeria as a whole have started witnessing good results immediately Egbetokun took over as the acting I-G.
Ajewole requested for more Police Mobile Units in the state, saying the current two units in the state were not sufficient based on the vastness of the state’s territory.
The I-G was at the meeting with a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) , Sylvester Alabi, and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the Force’s Zone II, Yomi Oladimeji.
NAN reports that the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Adebola Hamzat, annd several others were also with him.(NAN)
