Okon Bassey in Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Police Command yesterday
confirmed the arrest of 171 suspected criminals and rescued 19
kidnapped persons within the months of December 2019 and February 2020.
The state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, disclosed this during a town hall meeting/security summit held in Uyo.
He described Akwa Ibom State as one of
the most peaceful states in the country due to the security
consciousness of the people, adding that within the period under review,
crime rate has dropped by over 25 per cent. He noted that 14 different
types of fire arms and 25 types of ammunition were recovered, while 94
persons have been charged to court.
The commissioner said the feat was
possible as a result of community policing, explaining that some of the
arrests were done by the citizens.
Edgal, who said the police could not be
every where as a result of shortfall in manpower, encouraged communities
to take up strategic policing by setting up vigilante groups and
deepening police participation.
“From December till February 25, 2020,
the police under my command has arrested a total of 171 suspects for
various offences. We have also rescued 19 persons who were kidnapped
either within the state or outside the state.
“We have recovered 14 different types of
firearms. We have also recovered 25 types of ammunition. We have also
in our custody 38 different types of exhibits. A total of 94 persons
have been charged to court, while cases still under investigation remain
at 77.
“I am an officer that believes in
checking statistics and using it as a guide to know whether we are
moving forward or backward. I have from this statistics checked previous
crime records, and I can say with certainty that the police under my
command in the last two months have been able to reduce crime in the
entire Akwa Ibom State by well over 25 percent,” he said.
The police chief pointed out that he has
set up a citizens’ complaints committee with 10 dedicated lines for
people to report their complaints, saying policemen are manning the
lines on a 24-hour basis and would listen to people’s complaints both in
English and local languages.
He stated that though investigations
show that people’s complaints about the police was hindering community
partnership, he urged the people to have trust and confidence in the
police for community policing to work.
Edgal, however, warned that policemen
who are negligent in their duties would get a reduction in rank while
those who perform well would get the commissioner’s letter of
commendation.
He revealed that an administrative check
was ongoing in Akwa Ibom State Police Command, noting that within the
next two weeks there would be a massive redeployment of police officers
across the state.
The commissioner added that police
officers from DSC down who have stayed in a station up to five years
would be redeployed, explaining that there would soon be a recruitment
exercise for Community Policing Officers (CPOs), noting that the CPOs
would act as liaison between the police and the community in security
and other matters.
He stated that the recruitment would be
carried out by a committee made up of traditional rulers and community
leaders, whose responsibility would be to recruit persons resident in
the community with no criminal records. He advised the local government
chairmen to hold a monthly security meeting with the DPOs in their area,
and an enlarged meeting with the paramount rulers once in every two
months.
He frowned against the practice of
taking land issues and chieftaincy matters to the police, saying it was
the responsibility of the paramount rulers to resolve such cases so as
not to overwork the police. He advised youth leaders to submit
themselves to the leadership of the traditional rulers and not
constitute themselves into a force, noting that the regular security
meeting with the local government chairmen would tackle such problems.
The commissioner warned parents to be
mindful of their children as any underage child involved in any cult
related violence or violence of any form would be arrested and their
parents invited for questioning, adding that the recent street fight in
Government Technical College, Ewet showed that cultism was becoming a
deep rooted problem in schools, noting that the situation was not
peculiar to Akwa Ibom State.
Edgal said this also showed that parents
have failed in the duties of training their children, lamenting that it
showed we were building a society of cultism and called on all to join
hands to stop the menace. He commended Akwa Ibom State Government for
supporting the police, saying “since I came here, Governor Udom Emmanuel
has assured me that the entire apparatus of the state will be used to
support the police.”
Also speaking, Speaker of Akwa Ibom
State House of Assembly, Mr. Aniekan Bassey, who was represented by Mr.
Nse Essien, House Committee Chairman on Youths and Security, said the
legislature owed the people a duty to create enabling laws for the
society.
He said the Assembly has two bills:
Vigilante Expression Bill, and Security Trust Fund Bill that would take
care of security men in the state in case of loss of life. He noted that
the Assembly has received petitions on the killing of two persons by
herdsmen, noting that the leadership of the house would allegedly hold
Miyetii Allah responsible if people are killed by herdsmen in the state.
He said though Akwa Ibom people are
peace-loving, they would not allow people to take them for granted, and
urged the leadership of Miyetti Allah to guide its members accordingly.
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