Acting Inspector- General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has ordered senior officers to carry out an anti crime strategy overhaul, to effectively tackle the waves of insecurity across the Nation.
He gave the directive on Thursday at a strategic meeting with senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police, CP and above, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Adamu challenged the senior officers on the urgent need to rededicate themselves to their duties, through the evaluation and coordination of actions.
Apart from overhauling their crime control strategy, he directed the CPs to crime-map their jurisdictions, with a view to achieving optimal results.
His words: “Consequently, I charge you all, as you return to your various commands, to renew your sense of commitment to duty and demonstrate requisite professional leadership needed to roll-back the current unacceptable trend of crimes in your commands.”
He praised many CPs, whose commitment to duty had culminated in the “moderation” of crimes within their commands. But he accused some Command Commissioners of “inappropriate response to threats of crimes in their jurisdictions”, warning: “the current security realities in the country have made this trend intolerable.”
He said this is in view of “criminal records”, which suggest an upsurge in crime across the country.
Adamu however reiterated the commitment of the Police to crime prevention, detection and maintenance of internal security.
His words: “Criminal records point to a significant rise in crime following the conclusion of the general election. While some security experts have attributed the trend to the disengagement of the criminal elements from politically-related activities for which they might have been engaged during the elections, others have attributed the trend to socio-economic factors.
“While the debate on the cause of the upsurge in crime could be a subject of debate or academic conjecture, what remains undebatable is the fact that the primary and statutory duty of the Nigeria Police as the lead agency in internal security framework is the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of our internal security order.
“This places on us the responsibility of assuring the citizens of their safety and security without any form of excuses. It also challenges us to rededicate ourselves to our statutory duties, constantly review our law enforcement strategies and re-order our policing priorities towards stemming the tide of crime. It is within this context that this meeting was summoned.
“In this regard, let me emphasize that as strategic police managers, your professional competence is measured by your capacity to dissect the trends and patterns of crimes within your area of jurisdiction, develop and modify crime management strategies and deploy your human and material assets towards achieving a stable security order.”
He said: “In so doing, you must have the knowledge to see things differently, wisdom to think differently and courage to act creatively. Because, as noted by Albert Einstein, you cannot be ‘doing the same thing over and over and expect different results’. The dynamics of crime should task you to evolve new thoughts and new approaches to crime management.
“Your ability to this is what defines you as a professional and an experienced police manager.
“You must, therefore, return to your commands to evaluate and coordinate actions directed at overhauling your current crime control structure and strategies being conscious that the current security challenges represent a test on your leadership ability. You must learn to crime-map your jurisdiction and harness the strength within to neutralize all forms of crimes and security threats.”
He reported that Operation Puff Adder is yielding results, as 46 suspected kidnappers and armed bandits, had been arrested between April 5 and 10.
Besides, he said that two hostages were rescued, while arms and ammunition were also recovered.
Adamu had launched Operation Puff Adder in Kaduna State, to deal with kidnapping and other violent crimes in Kogi, Niger, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
