The Lagos State Police Command has lectured Officers and Men of the Lagos State Command in line with IGP Olatunji Disu, psc, vision and mission of his administration and the state police in general.
While providing updates on a meeting between the Inspector-General of Police and state commissioners of police held at the Force Headquarters on Wednesday, Jimoh said the IGP had ordered the dissolution of tactical squads across state commands due to their proliferation.
He added that only three tactical squads would be retained at the state command level.
CP Olohundare Jimoh explained that the ongoing discussions around state policing were aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and ensuring law enforcement remains responsive to the peculiar realities of communities.
According to him, the initiative forms part of broader efforts to reform and reposition policing in the country.
“To strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and ensure policing remains responsive to the realities of our communities, we inaugurated the State Police Committee at the Force Headquarters,” he said.
Sharing more light on the state policing in line with IGP Olatunji Disu, psc, vision and mission, the state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, in his words said “We are to strengthen the Nigerian internal security architecture and to ensure that policing in our country remain responsive to the reality of our communities and this is one of the reasons for the inauguration of the state police committee at the force headquarters in Abuja.
The Inspector General further emphasized that across the nation, the police will continue to confront evolving security challenges that requires innovative thinking and strategy, collaboration and the willingness to explore the forms that will enhance their capacity to protect lives and properties.
The concept of state police, according to the Inspector General of Police is therefore being carefully examined as part of broader national effort to improve security governance, bring policing closer to the people and deepen state participation in crime prevention.
“Our work at the Nigeria police force will help us to sharpen the framework through state policing in manner that strengthen rather than fragment our national security system, it will strengthen it according to the IGP.In carrying out this assignment, the deliberation must be guided by professionalism, objectivity and a clear appreciation of the unique complexities of policing in diverse country such as Nigeria.”
“The IGP further directed that we should lecture our personnel on state police that the state police if thoughtfully designed and effectively implemented, state policing holds a significant potential benefit for our country by bringing law enforcement closer to communities. State police institution can deepen local Knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker and more targeted response to emerging threats.
The IGP go further to tell us to lecture our personnel that a state police system can also strengthen public confidence in law enforcement by fostering closer relationship between officers and the community that we serve. That state police will enhance familiarity with local culture, languages and social structure and can significantly improve intelligent gathering and cooperation between citizens and the police.
In furtherance to this, the Inspector General of Police said that the decentralization of certain policing responsibilities can allow more efficient allocation of security resources.
“State government and local authority will be better positioned to respond to specific security challenges within their jurisdiction while the federal government continue to focus on broader national security priority.” He said
According to the IGP, the establishment of state police structure will create employment opportunities for thousands of young Nigerians thereby contributing to National development while strengthening the country’s security capacity. He stated further that however it is important to emphasize that state policing should not be misunderstood as a replacement for or a delusion of the Nigeria police force rather it should be seen as a complimentary structure within a coordinated national security framework; this is to remove the fear in the mind of every police officer, more especially in this command that the state police is coming to take their job.
“No! it is coming to further strengthen our job and our responsibility to make it better. And it is equally important that members of the press should allay this fear; Thus, as the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, I cooperated completely 100 per cent with the agenda of the state police as we have been directed by the IGP.” He emphasised
The IGP further stated that the Nigeria police force will continue to play its constitutional role as a primary National law enforcement institution responsible for maintaining internal security across the federation.
“Indeed the introduction of state police is expected to enhance the overall efficiency of policing by allowing the Federal police to concentrate more strategically on complex and transnational crimes such as terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, trafficking network and other serious security threats that requires national coordination and specialized capabilities. At the same time according to the IGP, the state police formation can provide localized policing services focused on community safety and conflict prevention, neighborhood patrols and early warning response to emerging threats.This collaborative arrangement will encourage specialization, strengthen professionalism and will deliver more security outcome for all our citizens across the country.”
“The IGP further directed that we should assure officers and men of the Nigeria police force that our relevance as police institution, our responsibility and our professional importance within Nigeria security architecture remain both intact and indispensable. The vision we seek is one of synergy, not competition, partnership not duplication. Thank you and God bless you.”
CP Olohundare Jimoh, also gave an update on Owode Onirin case, he said “We want the members of the public in Lagos State to know that the case of Owode Onirin, the incident that happened there that led to the death on the spot of five traders, and two traders that died, making the total seven people that died in that incident, the case is still ongoing, investigation and it has not been swept under the carpet, we want the public to be aware of this, we want all the traders and all the families of the victims to be aware of it that the case is being rounded up and all the suspects arrested in respect of that matter will be prosecuted. This is important for them to know that justice will be served at the end of the day.
As we speak, we have almost completed our investigation, we are 98 per cent completion of the investigation into the matter because few days back, we have received the ballistic examination of the rifles of the policemen that were brought in by one Akeem Abiodun Ariyori,who brought in policemen from Nassarawa state to cause the unlawful killing of innocent traders in the Owode Onirin incident. We want to assure members of the public that the Lagos State Police command will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice on this matter. We are not going to be cowed by anyone in ensuring that we do justice to this matter. Four police personnel that followed Ariyori to the disputed land in the Owode Onirin market have been in custody of the Nigeria police force, force CID in Panti. Investigation about them have been concluded, these four personnel of the Nigeria police force have been tried and dismissed, infact they are five, the last one is still undergoing treatment for the injury he sustained during the incident. We have received the ballistic report 2 days ago, we have equally received the autopsy report so nothing is stopping us and I want to assure the public, the generality of Lagosians, the marketers in Owode Onirin and other Nigerians that nobody can stop us from ensuring that there is justice in this matter, ensuring that the suspects arrested and those that are still at large have their day in court in this matter.Nobody who is a law abiding Nigerian should be afraid of being prosecuted in court, the court is opened for everyone to come and say his own part of the story, so no one should attempt to cow the Lagos State Police command in carrying out what is our constitutional responsibility of investigating crime and ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to book. Thank you. If you have questions for me, let me answer.
”We have decided to reduce the proliferation of Tactical squads across the country, this is to ensure that human rights are not being violated and the tactical squad is under the direct supervision of the commanding officer such as the commissioner of Police Lagos State, have 5 tactical squad under him, the commanding officers are directly under my command, at the area command level the area commander has the direct supervision of these tactical squad so also at the divisional level, we are complying fullest to this directive.
That’s why I have read out the directives of the IGP, some people have been calling me on social media, that the Lagos State Police command reject state police that is not true, that is not correct, and it belongs to the figment of the imagination of the people propagating the news item on social media. The directive of the IGP is being complied with.”
The state police has come to stay, we have been directed to lecture our personnel to allay their fear that the state police is coming to take away their duty or responsibility. No the state police comes to complement our efforts. So I am being directed by the president and commander in chief, so also the IGP has directed us, to comply with it. So there is no public function after the directive have been given where the Lagos State Police command has made any address to members of the public.
All my address is limited to the directive of the IGP, the only area where I will address the media will be achievements of the Lagos State Police command, which we have been doing constantly, outside that I do not have the power or the will to withhold or challenge the state police. I have not done so; hence, members of the public should disabuse their mind. The Lagos State Police command will continue to implement the directive of the IGP.
Courts of competent jurisdiction in the land have decided that no court can stop police investigation, no any arm of government can stop police investigation, so nobody can cow us from not prosecuting people mentioned in the case of Owode Onirin killings. Ariyori and the four police personnel. The four police personnel have been dismissed, which paved way for their prosecution in court, they were tried, they were allowed to say their own part of the story, witnesses were called in, officers found them guilty, for those senior in rank like the inspectors, we refer them to the appropriate quarters so that we can go ahead with the trial.One of the members of the press asked: “Just like the case of Ariyori, last week, or thereabout, you declare one Ahmed wanted for the killing of prince Ademola, any update on the matter?
The police is still on his trail, we have arrested more suspects, who have made confessional statements to the police indicating the criminal role they played and that of the suspect that you mentioned so have not stand down, we will continue to do our best to ensure that justice is earned, to ensure that anybody that commits any crime is brought to book and such a person have their day in court thank you,” CP Olohundare Jimoh replied.