Mohammed Shosanya
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun,says the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will not sit back and watch extremists unleash violence on Nigeria and destroy any national critical infrastructure and assets again.
He spoke in an address during an emergency conference with strategic managers of the force which took place on Tuesday at the Goodluck Jonathan Peace Keeping Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
He also warned hoodlums who might want to take laws into their hands in the name of protests to have a rethink, saying the Force will not watch them burn the country.
He said: “I want to address an issue of urgent national importance which appears to have gained some momentum – particularly on the social media in the past few weeks.
“Some groups of people, self-appointed ‘crusaders and influencers’ have been strategizing and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent ‘Kenyan protest debacle’.
“Whilst the Force acknowledges right to peaceful protest as enshrined in our constitution, we must ensure that these protests do not snowball into violence or disorder.
“As a nation, we have had more than our fair share of violent protests with rather dastardly consequences. The last #EndSars protest led to wanton destruction of public assets, including police stations, courts, transport infrastructure and loss of several lives.
“Tales of sorrow, tears and blood followed what was supposedly intended to be a well-intentioned exercise. Rather than to lead to any positive outcome, #Endsars merely aggravated crime rates and insecurity in several parts of the country.
“Indeed, we are yet to fully recover from the huge economic losses and deep seated psychological and emotional trauma inflicted upon our people by those protests.
“Hence, our position is that the proposed violent protests are ill-advised and should be jettisoned forthwith. We have the responsibility to protect properties and everyone, irrespective of their race, colour, ethnic, or tribe, who are lawfully embarking on their daily activities.”
He reiterated that, “We will, therefore, not sit back and fold our arms to watch violent extremists unleash violence on our peaceful communities, and/or destroy any of our national critical infrastructures and assets again.
“We have mapped out plans to ensure that no individual or group succeeds in fostering a reign of terror and or anarchy on other law abiding and peace-loving Nigerians.”
He warned hoodlums who might want to take laws into their hands in the name of protests, to have a rethink as the Force “will not fold our arms and allow our beloved country to be set on fire.
“Our duty is to protect lives and property of citizens and this we will do in the most professional manner. We will however continue to protect the rights of citizens to peaceful protests as we have done in previous protests.
“My honest advise is for Nigerian youths to avoid being used and lured to unwittingly do the biddings of those who are promoting selfish and inordinate ambition.”
Earlier,the IGP said, the strategic meeting was convened to assess our nation’s security situation and review their operational strategies to address emerging critical internal security issues in our country.
Apart from the threats of terrorism, banditry, oil theft, armed robbery and kidnapping, which we are currently battling away with other security agencies, he disclosed that, the spate of vandalism and theft of public assets is of grave concern and demands urgent attention and intervention at this critical time in our nation’s chequered history.
He emphasized that the Police will also seize the opportunity of this conference to deliberate on its preparedness for the launch of the Nigeria Police Green Initiative (NPGI) later this week.
Accordingly, he stressed that, “As part of the global community, we are currently beset by our own share of complex and multi-faceted security challenges.
“However, I must remind us again that the Nigeria Police as an institution must be undaunted and unrelenting in confronting these challenges thereby providing a reasonably safe haven for our people across the land.
“It is gratifying to note that the strategies deployed and duly executed by our officers and their undiluted passion and commitment have yielded significant results across the length and breadth of our nation.
“Undoubtedly, the results achieved by our men and officers within the past months have accentuated the stability of the internal security order of the country. This is clearly evidenced by the steady decline of crime rates over the past few months.”
He also explained that, a review of the monthly Major Crimes Returns table revealed a significantly positive outlook – a drop in the Major Crimes reported in in the last one month which stood at 416 compared with 734 and 530 for the months of May and June respectively.
Besides,he stated that, the Force recorded remarkable successes in the fight against criminalities in the last one month manifesting in the arrest of a total of 1,284 suspects nationwide.
“We also recovered 284 firearms, 6,702 ammunition, 107 vehicles, and rescued 97 kidnapping victims. The Force PRO will brief the press in details of this.
“We have taken steps to reorganize and reposition the IGP Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering (IGP-STFPIB) to enhance their operations as part of efforts towards curbing the menace of oil thefts in Nigeria.
“Meanwhile, the Task Force has done enormously well within the period recording 13 incidents of interceptions of suspected stolen crude and arrests of the perpetrators as well as seizures of exhibits.
“Most of the cases are already in courts for timely dispensation of justice. It is imperative for me to mention here that the achievements recorded are the outcome of cooperation and collaboration with members of the public and other security agencies.
“They are also testaments to your dedication and professionalism. I therefore extend my appreciation to all Nigerians for their support and commend our personnel for delivering excellent policing services to our nation, despite various challenges.”
Commending the dedication and accomplishments, of officers of the Force, the IGP said, “I want to use this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the leadership to your wellbeing.
“We recognize the hard work and sacrifices that you make and we are committed to ensuring that your welfare is prioritized. I equally wish to assure you of the unrelenting commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to enhanced welfare for Police Officers.
“A new welfare program is being put together for the benefit of Police officers. These include the provision of affordable housing and enhanced insurance scheme, a new welfare provision for family members of deceased police officers who lost their lives in line of duty, and others which details will be unfolded soon.
“At this juncture, I want to take our attention to the issue of pervasive vandalism and theft of public properties and components of critical public infrastructure such as manhole covers, rail lines, and public lights, etc; with its devastating negative consequences on national development.
“Pipeline vandalism, in particular, has resulted in significant economic losses, environmental degradation, and loss of lives. The theft of manhole covers has led to accidents, injuries, and even deaths, while the destruction of rail lines has disrupted transportation and hindered economic activities.
“The vandalism of public lights has created an atmosphere of insecurity, emboldening criminals and perpetuating crime. You are therefore directed to redouble your efforts in addressing this scourge and give adequate protection to public properties within your respective Commands.
“You should mobilize your resources effectively, enhance your intelligence-gathering capabilities, and work in close collaboration with other security agencies to nip all these in the bud.
“On Thursday, 25th July, 2024, we will formally launch the Nigeria Police Green Initiative {NPGI} – which we had discussed at some of our previous meetings. A green initiative in policing refers to the adoption of environmentally friendly practices, technologies, and policies that minimize the negative impact of policing activities on the environment.
“This includes reducing energy consumption, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable transportation. We considered delving into energy security and championing some aspects of advocacy for green economy through an initiative we publicly declared at the last COP28 held in Dubai last year 2023.
“Since then, we have been consulting widely, alongside our technical partners, on the project, and we hope to see the Force solving some humanity problems and simultaneously improving the livelihood of all Nigeria residents.
“The initiative will contribute greatly to our operational efficiency and well-being as Police family. We hope to extend our gestures to other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria and beyond, as we make progress on the project
He,however, expressed sincere gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the unwavering support his administration has given to the Nigeria Police Force.
According to him, “We are deeply appreciative of the President’s security sector reform agenda, which has been a significant source of motivation for us. His leadership and commitment to nation-building has been a beacon of hope for our country, and we are honoured to serve under his guidance.
“I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all well-meaning Nigerians for their understanding and support. I also commend the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force across all ranks, for their dedication to our shared policing vision and their tireless efforts at implementing strategies to restore internal security.
“I congratulate all members of the Nigeria Police Force, over the recent positive rating by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as the most improved agency in anti-corruption in Nigeria.
“The report is a testimonial to our commitment to changing the present police narratives in the country. I urge you all to show more commitment to upholding the highest standard of integrity and public trust in the discharge of our duties. I am confident that the 2025 report will be better.”
While the Force has made notable progress in combating crime and criminality, Egbetokun noted that, “our work is far from being over.”
The Police boss charged all officers and men to increase their level of commitment to duty and scale up service delivery in their respective Commands, saying, “Together, we can build a safer and more secure Nigeria for all.
“We cannot overemphasize the fact that peace and security are relations which must be harboured by all and sundry. We all have our parts to play in order to enjoy the tranquillity of life. Let me use this medium to appeal to the media practitioners to kindly ensure that they do not heat up the polity with their reportage.
“As the guardians of peace, the protectors of the innocent, and the defenders of justice, it is our duty to serve the nation with unwavering commitment, undisputable fairness and unrelenting diligence.
“Let us work together harmoniously to overcome the challenges bedevilling our beloved country. Together, we can navigate these challenging times and emerge stronger and more resilient.”
