FCT Residents, Experts Set Agenda for New Police Commissioner, Disu 

Linus Aleke in Abuja

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and security experts have highlighted area of priority for the new Commissioner of Police(CP), Olatunji Disu. They advised him to give priority attention to security at the remote part of the territory. The security experts and residents of the territory, who spoke to THISDAY, said that if the new commissioner gives priority attention to the security threats highlighted by the residents and heed the advice given by security experts, residents of the territory will go to bed with their two eyes closed. 

Speaking to THISDAY yesterday a security consultant and former Commissioner of Police FCT, Lawrence Alobi, urged the new commissioner to evolve strategies that will make it impossible for kidnapers and “one chance,” criminal syndicate to operate in the territory.

Noting that kidnapping and “one chance,” must be dealt with, Alobi said: “When I was the CP FCT, I stopped “one chance,” criminals from operating in the territory. The strategy that I used then which worked very well was to order my men to get the criminals death or alive. I don’t compromise on security.”

He, however, advised that the normal thing for Disu is to first map the security of the territory, analyse them and come up with home grown strategy on how best to address the problem.

 “He need to study the prevailing crime situation, the black spots, study the capabilities of his men so as to deploy them to areas they have comparative advantage. There is need for adequate logistics support in addition to cultivating a robust relationship with the public for the purpose of intelligence gathering,” he said.

A resident of FCT, Madu Onuorah, tasked the new CP to recall all police personnel under his command that were currently deployed to provide security to public officials and wealthy private individuals and institutions and redeploy  them to provide adequate security to the capital city.

He expressed misgivings over the current practice where the police will give priority attention to the rich at the detriment of the masses. 

“If the new CP withdraws police personnel deployed to provide security to individuals and institutions, he will have sufficient manpower to provide security for all and not this idea of favouring certain group against the other. What is a sauce  goose is also a sauce  for the gander,” he said 

Onuorah, who is a veteran journalist, noted that the police do not exist for influential people in the society alone but for the entire population.

Another resident of FCT and Publisher of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, said Disu is well positioned to leverage his expertise in community policing, crime fighting and courageous spirit to address the challenges posed by bandits and kidnappers, especially in Abuja’s satellite towns and border communities. 

While urging the new CP to give priority attention to semi urban and rural communities in FCT with a view to stamping out banditry and kidnapping,  Shuaib said that Disu’s brief tenure as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, demonstrated his relentless commitment to take the fight directly to criminal strongholds. 

He averred that Disu is renowned for his exceptional intelligence operations and leadership, recalling that as SARS commander in Ondo, Oyo, and Rivers States, and RRS commander in Lagos, Disu made a significant policing impact. 

Shuaib said that as Head of Intelligence Response Team of Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, Disu utilised intelligence driven psychological operations, prioritising community engagement and crime prevention. 

Stating that Disu’s role is crucial in maintaining security and order in the territory, the publisher concluded that Disu’s approach should  focuse on preventing crime rather than just responding to it.

Another  security expert, Chidi Omeje tasked the new CP to establish a robust synergy and collaborations between and amongst all the security agencies that are domiciled in FCT, especially in the area of intelligence sharing and information management. 

 He advised Disu to be people friendly and not show the ‘tough cop,’ thing like the immediate past CP which, according to him, “will alienate him from the people.” 

Chidi said: “Let him be friendly yet firm. He must be focused. He needs to understand the peculiar security challenges confronting the territory, especially kidnapping in the fringes of FCT. He needs to track down the syndicate responsible for one chance in FCT. He needs to break the backbone of the criminal syndicate. 

He must also ensure that the human rights of citizens are properly protected.”

 Omeje further advised the new CP to collapse the mutual suspicion existing between the media and the police.