The Nigerian Police, in Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday, expressed regrets over the insecurity and breakdown of law and order during the #EndSARS protest in the country last year.
The security agency said that such experience would never repeat itself again, warning members of the public against attributing crime and criminality to ethnic groups on the explanation that doing so could incite widespread crisis in the land.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone XI, Mr Oluyemi Agunbiade, while addressing security stakeholders at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele Ibadan during his familiarisation visit to Oyo State on Wednesday, said the Police were fully back to duty with a rekindled effort towards securing lives and properties of the citizens.
He said a criminal, irrespective of colour, religion or ethnicity background, should be treated as a criminal without making inciting comments on the issue of ethnicity.
While stating the resolve of the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, to ensure the implementation of police reform, he urged Nigerians to shun the habits that are capable of inciting crisis.
He said, “I came to rekindle the police officers and stakeholders on the need to work in collaboration with one another.
Not only that, but to also give them the mantras of the Inspector General of Police as to robust public relations and to address my men on the need for training and retraining to enhance the competence of police officers and to assure the members of the public that we are now ready; we are coming back in full and we are not going to allow criminals to have their way anymore.
“We have learnt a lot of lessons from #EndSARS. Now, we are out to protect the protesters. Protesters can always have their ways without their cause hijacked by hoodlums like those who hijacked the #EndSARS protest and turn it to hooliganism, killing police officers. They became tyrannic.
“#EndSARS has taught us that no stone should be left unturned in terms of our policing strategy. I am here to re-strategize with my men. I had spoken with the stakeholders but we don’t want to let the cat out of the bag. By the time we roll out our strategy, you will see the difference.
“We want all the stakeholders who are here to appeal to the public that the police are now back stronger and we are ready to work for you. We are going to have a robust public relationship with you and we want you to have confidence in us and give us useful information.
“There is no way criminals will be more than us. The crime they have committed affected all of us. We are not going to allow criminals have their way and we have rolled out new strategies in tackling the criminals.
“The Police Constabularies that were just recruited will be complementing the Nigerian Police in the areas of intelligent gathering for effective service delivery and we have also marked out some strategies that will make our job easier and effective.”
On the quit notice by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State to Fulanis, he said, “Nobody has authority to pursue send people from a particular place. Every Nigerian has the right to leave anywhere. I think what the governor was trying to say os that if there are criminals within my territory, move away. But, if you are there legitimately, you can always have your way.”
In her opening remarks, the new Commissioners of Police in the state, Ngozi Onadeko, said, the Command was on guard to secure the over eight million people of the state.
The CP noted that the state, with a total of 33 local government council areas and 35 local council development areas and 10 Police Area Commands, would experience a new lease of life in the area of security henceforth.
