Insecurity: We‘re up to the task – IGP

With his confirmation as substantive Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu has said the force and other security agencies were up to the task of tackling security challenges in some parts of the country.

He also said the police would re-strategise and restructure to achieve maximum results.  

The IGP said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents shortly after he was confirmed as substantive police boss by the Nigeria Police Council chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the police, under him, would redouble their efforts to make the country crime-free and reduce insecurity to the barest minimum in the country.

“What it means for us that we have been given a tough task to make sure we provide security within the country and make the country crime-free, which means that we have re-double our efforts. 

“Whatever strategy we have put in place, we have to look at it, and re-strategies day in, day out to make sure the insecurity in the country goes down to the barest minimum,” he said. 

On what it would take to reduce insecurity, especially in the North, the IGP said: “As I told you, we have to look at our strategy and re-strategise and also look at our personnel to re-organise the way our system is structured, identify the right personnel in the right places to have them do the job. 

“So, it requires re-strategising for us to be able to dig deep into what is happening in the North-west so as to deal with the situation squarely. I think the security agencies within the country are capable of dealing with the situation. What we need to do is just to re-strategise and then face the criminals squarely.”

The IGP said he also briefed the council on security situation in the country and “the efforts we are putting in place or have put in place to address the security challenges. After the presentation, I was confirmed as the IGP.”

The meeting was attended by governors of the 36 states of the federation and chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Mr. Musliu Smith. 

Adamu was appointed acting Inspector General of Police on January 15, 2019 by President Buhari.

Puff Adder arrests suspected bandits, others

Meanwhile, the Operation Puff Adder  had within 30 days of its operation across Borno  state, arrested  a total of 88 suspects involved in various offences ranging from kidnapping, armed  robbery, banditry, murder, burglary  and theft between 8th April and 23rd May 2019.

Among those arrested were five soldiers and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.   

The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu, said this Thursday while briefing journalists in his office on the achievements recorded since the operation commenced.

Aliyu said the soldiers were arrested at different locations for various acts of armed robbery in Maiduguri between May 3 and 23.

 Hilary Oziama, a corporal, with Force number 09NA/63/3117, he said, was arrested on May 13 after he allegedly conspired with Kolawale Samuel, a lance corporal, (still at large) who allegedly  robbed one Ibrahim Mohammed of his tricycle worth N600, 000.

 Two  other soldiers, Mohammed Abubakar with force number 17NA/76/15521 and Ibrahim Musa, 17NA/76/4381, Aliyu further said, allegedly conspired with Mohammed Mustapha and Sani Abdullahi to rob one Sani Musa of his cell phone worth N5,000.

The suspects and their accomplices were arrested by personnel of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Maiduguri.

Aliyu further said a soldier, Tgwe Sylvester (15NA/73/0510), allegedly conspired with one Nnamani Michael and stole a car from its owner at Bayo in Bayo local government area of the state, while  two locally-made pistols were recovered from the suspects,

Aliyu also said, a civil defence personnel with service No. 53038 A/C , Mr. Raphael Akinola attached to NSCDC Taraba state command on special duty in Borno state command was arrested in possession of 60 rounds of 7.62 mm  ammunitions at a motor park packaging them in a bag while travelling, stating that investigation was in progress.

On others, he said: “On 8/4/19 at about 1239 hours 3 suspects were arrested in connection with CI piracy, robbery and theft of vehicle, Toyota Corolla LE with chassis No. 20U581 and its key.

“The suspects are Banna Gaji Gambo, Bukar Ali and Fatima Hassan Abani. The case has been transferred to metro area command for thorough investigation.”

He  further said, “On 19/2/19 at about 1300 hours, a case of abandoned and recovered live ammunitions was reported at Builunkuti  Division but no suspect  was arrested and investigation still ongoing.

The CP said police would continue to ensure adequate security of lives and property of the citizenry while appealing to the public to continue to cooperate with the security agents to serve them better.

Kogi too…

Also, in Kogi state, the police paraded 25 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and car snatchers. 

Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the command, the Kogi state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakem Busari, said the arrest was made possible through a proactive strategies rooted in intelligence-led policing and robust interaction with various strata of the communities in the state.

Busari said the duo of Martin Igwe and Emeka Okeke who specialised in cannibalising stolen vehicles and motorcycles were arrested following a tip off that the suspects operated a warehouse at Felele in Lokoja with inscription of fowl feeds, while they used the warehousing for storage of over 50 vehicle engines stolen in Kogi and other states.

Also paraded were Olobo Maha, Aminu Maha and Isiaka Sule, who were arrested in Lokoja while Ali Sule, Danjuma Isah and Musa Seidu were arrested for being in possession of illegal firearms at Ganaja village in Ajaokuta local government area.

He listed items recovered from them  to include;  one unregistered Qlinq motorcycle, one Beretta  pistol, one revolver pistol and one locally made single barrel pistol.

Friday Abah and Ogbaje Solomon who allegedly robbed one Ojochenemi Baba of Emonoja Aludo village Ogugu in Olamoboro local government area of the state,  were paraded with one Sharon car, two Honda motorcycles, one plasma TV , a decoder and fifteen handsets believed to have been stolen from their victims’ house.

The CP further  said  the same suspects in the month of May , 2019, also robbed one Arinze Chugwu, a manager of Chichidi filling station Okpo at gun point and carted away the sum of N229,000, saying efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang.

Also paraded were Jeremiah Abon and Samuel Oroile arrested for snatching a car belonging to Mrs. Grace Gunwa living along Army Signal Lokoja.

Busari said the suspects were arrested following a report received from Mrs. Gunwa that her driver went away with her to an unknown destination to sell the Kia car, saying the suspect was arrested in Kaduna.

While saying all the suspects would be charged to court after investigation, the CP warned any person in possession of illegal firearms to surrender them to the nearest police stations.

Katsina cries out

And from Katsina state, Governor Aminu Bello Masari has begged federal government to take immediate measures to stop banditry to enable farmers have access to their farmlands during this year’s rainy season.

Governor Aminus Masari said this Thursday in Katsina when a delegation from the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, visited the state on a fact-finding mission on the security challenges bedevilling the state.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, said the call became imperative in view of the recent banditry attacks the state suffered.

“When we came in, we did our best to make the state peaceful, but Katsina is not an island, it is bounded by other unsecured places like Zamfara and Kaduna states.

 “So, the relative peace we are enjoying was jeopardised by the non-peace in our neighbouring states, then gradually all the efforts that we had made came to no avail.

 “The latest was the sad incident that happened in Batsari when the corpses were brought to the governor and the emir. There is urgent need to bring back peace in the state.

“As we all know, rainy season is already on, our people need to go and plant crops in their farmlands. If we do not get them back into their farmlands, there will be problem of food insecurity.

“If the situation is not handled urgently, forest will not be accessible by farmers in this rainy season.”

Earlier, leader of the team, Major-General B.I Ahonotu, told the governor he was representing the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin.

While commiserating with the state government over the loss, he said,  “It is pathetic, horrifying and terrible, but we are doing everything possible to save the situation.”

In a related development, the Katsina state government has suspended all programmes lined up for democracy day.

This, chairman of the transition committee, Alhaji Mustafa Inuwa said was a show of love and concern for victims of recent attacks by bandits in the state.

He said only the compulsory swearing in of the governor and his deputy would take place at a low-key ceremony.

Inuwa called for prayers from people of the state, particularly in this holy month of Ramadan.

Leave a Reply