Shun Illegal Duty, Extortion, DIG Warns Policemen

By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Logistics and Supply, Mr. Oshodi Agboola Glover, has warned that policemen must refrain from acts that could debase the integrity of the Force, particularly going on illegal duty to extort money from innocent Nigerians.

Glover said the police under the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has zero tolerance for corruption, saying any policeman who deviates from the grand norms of securing the lives and property of Nigerians by engaging in fraud will be dismissed from the Force.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti Monday during a one-day official visit to the Ekiti Command, Glover, who is the Supervising DIG in charge of the South-west, urged policemen to always appear like good ambassadors of the nation wherever they are deployed to work.

Glover urged Nigerians not to entertain the fear over the 2019 elections, saying his men would be fair to all parties and conduct themselves in a manner that won’t make them appear partisan.

“I want you to always appear like good ambassadors of this nation. Our brief is to provide adequate security for Nigerians. Don’t harass innocent people. Don’t engage in illegal duty.

“Don’t use physical force on Nigerians while enforcing order, be civil in all your dealings. But if you engage in illegalities and you are caught, you will be fired. With this, not only you will be in problem, you family will also run into trouble, because some of you are bread winners.

“The IG is working tirelessly to improve your welfare in the area of promotions and housing. So let us support him in this task by complementing his efforts,” he advised.

On the 2019 elections, the DIG said: “Police are battle ready for the polls, we will be fair to all. This is not the first time of doing it. We did it in 2015 and we shall retain the same feat, no cause for alarm.”

Glover assured his men that the command will step up efforts to reduce bank robberies in Ekiti, describing the state as the most politically stable and peaceful in the country.

The Police Commissioner, Ekiti Command, Mr. Bello Ahmed, expressed regret over the recent attack on Ijero police station during a bank robbery, causing the death of three policemen, saying this has not vitiated the police’s efforts in taming kidnappers and robbers in the state.

Ahmed called the attention of the DIG to the frightening dearth of personnel in Ekiti, describing this as a fundamental challenge to the command.

“The total population of Ekiti in 1996 when it was created was 2.6 million and the expected police cover then was 7,800. Going by this statistics, 22 years after, it is expected that the population must have risen to about 3.2 million without corresponding increase in police strength to serve the populace.

“At present, the command has 3,105 out of which only 2,648 of general duty including women police while 46 are specialists.

“Sir, this command shall need additional 4,000 personnel to enable it deploy men to the 2,195 polling units and other INEC facilities during the 2019 general election in Ekiti State,” he said.