By; Patrick Titus, Uyo
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has directed all police commands in the country to carry out immediate inventory of armoury in their respective formation to determine their state of viability in line with the needs.
IGP Arase gave the directive in Uyo during a one-day official visit to Akwa Ibom State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
The directive came during IGP’s interactions with officers and men of the command where one Sergeant Nicolas Enguru made a sparkling observation and experience of expired arms and ammunitions in Police armoury.
According to the officer who narrated his encountered with unserviceable ammunitions, such expired arms and ammunitions used by officers during emergency, attributed to the high rates of casualties which Police usually encounter during exchange of fires with criminals.
Sergeant Enguru, whose observation earned him instant promotion from Police Sergeant to Inspector, cited an instance where he would have lost his life in the hands of criminals if he had not checked the viability of a-30 rounds of ammunitions issued to him for operation and which he later found was not serviceable because it had expired.
IGP Arase also said that the current promotion of personnel exercises where over 50,000 Police personnel nationwide have been promoted was to ensure that by middle of this year no personnel on the rank of Police constable are found in the force.
To this end, he stressed the need for those in ranks and files to improve themselves professionally to be able to fit into the system for efficiency and rebuilding the image of the Police to restore public confidence. “Un-informed Police personnel is a danger to himself and the society he or she lives,” IGP pointed out.
The IGP who commended the Commissioner of Police and other officers and men in Akwa Ibom state command of the force for their efforts in sustaining the low crime rates in the state, also adjudged Akwa Ibom as one of the peaceful states in the federation where investors can get value for their investments.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Murtala Mani in his welcome address assured the IGP that the command has not left any stone unturned in the avowed determination to fight corruption in the service while also respecting the dignity and right of all persons in the state.
According to CP Mani, the command investigation teams are regularly lectured to avoid the former method of dumping suspects in detention facilities without having gathered adequate information to charge them to relevant courts or let them have their freedom.
On the Police- public relationships, CP Mani said that front desk officers in the various charge rooms have been warned to be very civil, polite and receptive to members of the public who come to the station for various reasons.
He noted the support of the state government and that of the general public to the Police in sustaining peace and tranquility in the state as laudable.
