By Jude Atupulazi
Officers and men of the Anambra State Police Command have been charged to remain disciplined at all times and maintain professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
This charge was given by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 13, Ukpo, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, AIG Miller Gajere Dantawaye, recently, during his visit to the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.
He said the mindset of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Riwán Disu, was that every police personnel must remain disciplined and professional at all times.
AIG Dantawaye also warned that he would not tolerate situations where matters already reported at police divisions, but yet to be dispensed with, were moved to the Zonal Command or the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
He further cautioned superior officers against interfering in cases already reported at police stations or divisions.
‘I am supervising the police in Anambra and other states. The police must remain disciplined. Anyone found to be undisciplined should be sanctioned. We cannot continue be jumping from one place to another because a higher person has intervened.
‘If a case is reported at a division, it must first be treated there. Removing cases from divisions to the Zonal Command without first addressing them at the division, cannot be tolerated under my watch.
‘I will not condone interference in cases at lower offices from higher levels. I will visit you unannounced. DPOs should stop leaving cases entirely to junior officers. Always try to see that every case in your division is properly treated,’ Dantawaye directed.
He also advised police personnel on the need for proper and decent dressing, noting that he would move around unannounced to monitor the appearance of officers, as well as the cleanliness of police stations across the state.
‘I urge DPOs to take note and ensure that their stations are neat at all times,’ he said.
The AIG further urged the police to respect members of the public in the course of carrying out their duties, noting that members of the public were the people who paid the salaries of police personnel and should therefore be addressed and treated with respect and civility.
‘We also appeal to members of the public to respect the police. But first respect the public,’ he said.
Dantawaye commended the officers and men of the Anambra State Police Command for their decency and professionalism in carrying out their operations, noting that he had stayed there for about six weeks and was impressed by what he had seen in the Command.
He described the rank and file as the face of the Nigeria Police Force because they were the personnel who were most visible to members of the public, particularly on the roads and in communities.
This was even as he warned that any Investigating Police Officer (IPO) or Divisional Police Officer (DPO) found to be involved in compromising cases or violating the ethics of the Force would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
‘I wish to warn all and sundry that if a case is reported to your office or division, you must investigate it and discharge your duties within the ambit of the law. What I see now is that a lot of cases are brought to your office and before you know it, they take the case to the divisions, later jump to the Area Command, and the suspect would then go to the zones or command, and soon it is with the office of the IGP.
‘The Commissioner of Police is my witness because I have returned all cases that were still under investigation but had been moved to the office of the Inspector-General of Police back to the divisions or police stations where they were first reported.
‘This is the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, and I am sticking to it. I want you to be attentive, and I don’t need your clapping because this is a very serious professional matter.
‘Most of you try to run away from ensuring justice. Even as a Divisional Police Officer, try to look into the matter and don’t simply say, ”Go to your IPO”, because some issues can be resolved through alternative conflict resolution,’ he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Nnanna Oji Ama, said that since assuming office, the Command had performed well in the areas of crime fighting and the maintenance of law and order.
Ama attributed the successes recorded by the Command to its community-policing engagements, intelligence gathering, as well as the support and cooperation of other sister security agencies.
He noted that the visit of the AIG was instructive, given that discussions at the meeting would be far-reaching and aimed at improving effective and result-oriented efforts in the fight against crime and criminality in the state.
