Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 6, comprising Rivers, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states, Mr. Baba Adisa Bolanta, spoke to AYOYINKA JEGEDE in his Calabar office on what the public should expect from the Nigerian Police this year, among others issues.
What should the public expect from the Police this year?
They should expect an improved performance. We are going to improve our performance.
Our projection is to drastically reduce crime rate, especially kidnapping, arm robbery, cultism, communal clashes and murder, and make life more comfortable for the people of the zone.
Nigerians don’t really have much confidence in the Police. How would you change public perception of the Police?
I don’t really agree that people don’t trust us; that may be before. In recent time, people really have confidence in us and they are partnering with us.
I don’t really agree that people don’t trust us; that may be before. In recent time, people really have confidence in us and they are partnering with us.
That is why we have this community policing initiative and we have reinforcement of that initiative by the present Inspector General of Police (IGP).
We have a lot of strategies to drastically reduce crime this year, part of which is to increase partnership with the community in security issues.
We have a lot of strategies to drastically reduce crime this year, part of which is to increase partnership with the community in security issues.
Another one is to raise the level of professionalism of our men and we have put in place a training programme to reshape the attitude of our men to members of the public.
All these are designed to regain the confidence of the public in our ability to protect them.
All these are designed to regain the confidence of the public in our ability to protect them.
What challenges do you foresee this year?
One is in the area of logistics. We all know that it is not possible for government to provide all our needs, because there are so many contending issues.
One is in the area of logistics. We all know that it is not possible for government to provide all our needs, because there are so many contending issues.
We also have the challenge of public apathy towards the Police. Some still believe that the Police are not people you can easily go to and get the right help. But that is not true. This is a people-friendly Police and the Police are their own Police. We are for everybody.
After all, the power we are exercising is on behalf of the people.
Cultism and kidnapping is rampant in some states under your zone. What are you doing to curb this?
After all, the power we are exercising is on behalf of the people.
Cultism and kidnapping is rampant in some states under your zone. What are you doing to curb this?
We have already put strategies in place, one of which is to increase our partnership with the various communities and bring them nearer.
With that, we would have increased intelligence that will enable us to get these undesirable elements among us and bring them to book.
You talked about people-friendly Police, but there are situations where complainants are asked to mobilise officers to crime scene or pay for bail, among others?
Police work is humanitarian in nature; we don’t demand money, we don’t demand anything. Services are rendered free of charge.
With that, we would have increased intelligence that will enable us to get these undesirable elements among us and bring them to book.
You talked about people-friendly Police, but there are situations where complainants are asked to mobilise officers to crime scene or pay for bail, among others?
Police work is humanitarian in nature; we don’t demand money, we don’t demand anything. Services are rendered free of charge.
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