Elections: AIG Oyebade Resumes at Zone XI …Takes IGP’s Message to Ondo, Osun, Oyo

Segun Atanda/

The acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abubakar Adamu Mohammed has sent a message to the people of Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states on the preparedness of the police to ensure adequate protection of all citizens during the forthcoming elections.

Mohammed’s message was conveyed through the newly posted Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Adeleye Oyebade, in charge of Zone 11 covering Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states.

Delivering the acting IGP’s message on assumption of duty in Osogbo, the Osun State capital today, Oyebade said, “The IGP sends his warm greetings and goodwill to the people of Ondo, Osun and Oyo states. He assures the people under this zone of the preparedness of the police to ensure adequate protection of all citizens during the forthcoming elections.

Here is the address delivered at the Zone XI police headquarters, Osogbo today:

“I give thanks, honour and glory to God Almighty for the privilege to address you today as I assume duty as the Assistant Inspector General of Police responsible for Zone 11, comprising Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states police commands. I look forward, together with all the quality officers and men of the zone, to working with the good people of the three states under this zone, to bring professional policing to the zone and to enshrine a culture of respect for the rule of law, civil liberties and voluntary observance of our laws; so we can build trust between the police and the communities we serve.

“I am equally eager to meet the political leadership in each state, the traditional institutions, professional bodies, labour organisations, students, market leaders and all stakeholders in the zone to meet minds on how best to ensure an efficient policing of our communities.

“Before I proceed further, allow me to deliver a message from the Acting Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu, NPM, mni. The IGP sends his warm greetings and goodwill to the people of Ondo, Osun and Oyo States. He assures the people under this zone of the preparedness of the police to ensure adequate protection of all citizens before, during and after the forthcoming elections. As the lead agency on security during the elections, the police will deploy its officers, men and resources to ensure a peaceful, free, fair and credible election. I believe you all have noticed in the short period since assuming duty, the IGP has brought a new vision and dynamism into the Force. Emphasis is now on the core values of Discipline, Diligence, Valour and Ethical conduct among officers. The IGP enjoins all and sundry to shun all forms of electoral malpractice, hooliganism and deviant behaviour and acts that could cause a break down of law and order.

“Allow me to acknowledge the good work of the outgoing AIG of the Zone, now DIG Aminchi S. Baraya. The lofty achievements of the Zone under his command speak volume of his leadership style, professionalism and diplomacy. The records show a reduction in crime such as armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, obtaining money under false pretences, arson etc. I pledge to build on these achievements. I am not unaware of some of the challenges of the Zone including inadequate operational vehicles; poor and inadequate barracks accommodation, insufficient funds and lack of communication gadgets. The welfare of the officers and men of the Zone shall be my priority. I salute the courage, gallantry and dedication of the officers and men in the Zone who, despite the challenges, put their lives on the line in the fight against crime and to ensure the security of lives and property.

“The constraints militating against the operational efficiency of the police are receiving the urgent attention of the IGP. The most important and valued asset of the police is the manpower. Unfortunately, manpower is inadequate. However, under the Police Reform Agenda, concerted efforts are being made by the Federal Government to recruit more personnel into the Force under the present administration.

“My posting to Zone 11 is a homecoming for me because, in the recent past, I have had the privilege of serving as a Commissioner of Police in Oyo State covered by the Zone. I have traversed most of the ancient towns and villages with lasting memories of the rich culture of the people. I have also, developed a lifelong friendship that money cannot buy.

“One of the enduring values of the people under this Zone, who are predominantly Yoruba, is encapsulated in the concept “omoluabi”. This is a legacy of civility, sense of community, cooperation, integrity, morality, tolerance, patience, honour, hard work, diligence and respect for constituted authority and much more. I charge the political class to exhibit these traits as they go into the elections. They must lead by example as omoluabi.

a.My plan during this tour of duty is to promote professionalism among the rank and file, partner with members of the various communities and stakeholders and collaborate with sister security agencies, civil liberty organisations to earn the trust of our citizens. To achieve this, emphasis shall be on training and re-training such that the police will have a humane face guided by principles of justice and fairness to all.

b. At this point, it is appropriate to remind us of the statutory duties of the Nigeria Police Force, to contextualize and put in perspective while evaluating performance. The main functions of the NPF are unambiguously stated as follows:

c. Prevention and detection of crime;

d. Apprehension of offenders;

e. Preservation of law and order;

f. Protection of life and property, and;

“Enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and perform such military duties within or without Nigeria as may be required of them by, or under the authority of this or any other Act.

“In addition to the aforementioned roles, the NPF also has statutory powers to investigate crimes, interrogate suspects, prosecute suspects, grant bail to suspects pending completion of an investigation or prior to court arraignments, to serve summons, and to regulate or disperse unlawful processions and assemblies. The Police are also empowered to search and seize properties suspected to be stolen or associated with crime and to take record of the measurements, photographs and fingerprint impressions of all persons in custody for purposes of identification.

“Let me emphasize that the police owe these duties to the generality of Nigerians and all other persons lawfully living within the country. They are, therefore, answerable to the law in the performance of their duties.

“The vision of the NPF is to “make Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth; to create a safe and secure environment for everyone living in Nigeria.”

“There is a paradigm shift in policing in Nigeria today. The police have moved away from the reactive 19^th and 20th-century method of policing to a more robust and forward-looking 21st-century concept of policing aided by technology.

“This is captured under the concept of community policing. This is policing by consent. There is a consensus of opinion that for policing to be effective, the police must enjoy the trust of the citizens. It has also been said that the police are citizens in uniform and the public must see them in that light. The legitimacy of policing in the eyes of the public should be based upon a general consensus of support that follows from transparency about their powers, their integrity in exercising those powers and their accountability for doing so. Policing of our communities is too important a job to be left to police officers alone. Every citizen must be involved. Our communities must be organized; we must be innovative and strategic in our thinking. It is imperative for the police to earn the trust of the citizens and for the citizens to render assistance and support to the police in fighting crimes.

“The establishment of the Community Policing and Development Section in the NPF has initiated the necessary strategies and also ensured proper implementation. The effective execution of these strategies would further improve the activities and operations of the NPF towards entrenching community policing concepts in our policing culture.

“The mission of the NPF is to partner with other relevant security agencies and the public in gathering, collating, sharing intelligence with the intention of ensuring the safety and security of Nigerian citizens. This is aimed at addressing the root causes of crime while ensuring that any criminal act is investigated so as to bring the criminals to justice in a fair and professional manner. This mission also forms the tasks the Police seek to achieve in the discharge of their statutory roles by employing community policing in order to achieve the goal of partnering with other agencies in law enforcement and maintenance of order within the Nigeria society.

“It is important at this point to draw special attention to the forthcoming elections beginning with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 16, 2019, to be followed by the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly Elections scheduled to hold on March 2, 2019.

iv. The elections will focus global attention on Nigeria. We cannot afford to fail after two decades of participatory democracy. Therefore, I call on the political class in Ondo, Osun and Oyo states to play by the rules as omoluabi. Gone were the days when this region was referred to as the Wild Wild West.  Now, it should be known as the Wise, Wise, West!

“Towards the forthcoming election, the IGP has devised some strategic action plans in order to ensure an enabling environment that will guarantee the security of officials, electorates and electoral materials before, during and after the elections despite the challenges facing the Force. These plans include:

i. Effective deployment of officers and men for the elections.

ii. Each officer will be provided with an aid memoire on roles of the police in election monitoring and management.

iii. Proactive patrol of all nooks and crannies of the nation. 

iv. Timely apprehension of would-be electoral offenders.

v. To ensure that all Electoral offences are professionally investigated to a logical conclusion.

vi. To ensure diligent prosecution of all electoral cases.

“However, inter-agency cooperation and collaboration is key in our policing perspective.

“We are aware of the peace accord signed by the various political parties and actors. We enjoin the political actors to abide by the spirit and the letter of the accord.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has developed a workable template that has been tested across the country. The police shall provide security for INEC and all its officials during the election in collaboration with other sister security agencies. The police as the lead security agency shall partner with Civil Society Organisations, local and foreign election observers and other well-meaning bodies to ensure a free, fair, and credible election in Nigeria.

“However, let me sound this note of warning, that, while the police will not allow the fundamental human rights of any citizen to be trampled upon, the police will not tolerate or allow any misguided individual or group of individuals to derail the elections. We shall not permit any act that will cause disturbance of public peace, violence or intimidation of electorates. The police shall be courteous, decisive and firm in their engagements during the elections. However, for those who want to test our resolve in ensuring a peaceful atmosphere during and after the elections, we shall not hesitate to bring the full weight of the police resources to deal firmly and decisively with any unruly behaviour or disturbance.

“In conclusion, let me reiterate that our personnel have been properly trained to handle law enforcement during and immediately after the elections. I hereby appeal for the cooperation of all political actors and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully. I implore members of the public to obey the law and go about their normal businesses without any fear of harassment or intimidation from any quarter.

“I thank you for your attention.”