The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), yesterday, apologised to Nigerians over the excesses of some police officers that resulted in last year’s #EndSARS protests, stating that the police have learnt their lessons and appropriate steps are being taken to ensure effective policing in the country.
New Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 11, comprising Oyo and Osun states, Agunbiade Oluyemi, stated this during his visit to Oyo State, where the new Commissioner of Police (CP), Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko, received him.
Oluyemi, who met strategic stakeholders in the state’s security architecture including religious, traditional, and market leaders, as well as the Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC), also held a private meeting with top police officers in the state.
He maintained that some Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives missed the point when they started arresting suspected Internet fraudsters, undergraduates, and other youths with laptops on the nation’s roads.
He also urged members of the public to report policemen in mufti, saying the Force Headquarters had mandated all officers who must carry out assignments on the road or highway to wear their uniforms.
He also cautioned people against tagging crime and criminal activities to some particular ethnic group, noting that such acts could cause the ethnic crisis.
“We want all stakeholders to appeal to members of the public that the police are now back stronger and we are ready to work for the people. We will have a robust relationship with the public and we want Nigerians to have confidence in us and give us useful information.
“There is no way criminals will overcome us. The crimes they commit affect all of us in one way or another. We won’t allow criminals to have their way and we have rolled out new strategies in tackling the criminals.
“The new Police Constabularies that were just recruited will be complementing the Force in intelligence gathering for effective service delivery and we have also marked out some strategies that will make our job easier and more effective,” he stated.
Oluyemi explained that he came to rekindle hope in the police officers and stakeholders on the need to partner with each other, saying: “It is also to give them the mantra of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, as to robust public relations and address our men on the need for training and retraining to enhance the capacity, capability, and competence of the police officers.
