31st October, 2017
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 5, Benin, Abubakar Mohammed, on Tuesday met with the Commissioners of Police in Edo, Delta and Bayelsa.
The meeting was attended by CP Zannah Ibrahim of Delta, CP Ambav Asuquo of Bayelsa and CP Babatunde Kokumo of Edo.
The meeting examined the current crime wave with particular emphasis on the spate of kidnapping in the zone.
Mohammed, who decried the spate of kidnapping in some parts of the zone, charged the commissioners to ensure adequate security of lives and property.
He further directed that security be beefed up in all the entry and exit points linking to the major cities and rural areas in their respective commands.
He also charged the commissioners to commence intensive patrol in all the nooks and crannies to dissuade incessant kidnapping in the zone.
The AIG further directed that the commissioners should de-emphasise their priorities on investigation of cases and focus on patrol, visibility policing and other crime prevention measures.
He also observed that there were too many policemen attached to various units at the Command Headquarters, and therefore, directed the commissioners to identify those units and ensure that the police officers were deployed to Divisions for visibility policing and patrol.
He reiterated the importance of intelligence-led policing in the fight against crime and criminality, and urged the commissioners to engage men of State intelligence Bureau at their respective commands in this regard.
On the Inspector-General of Police ban on road block, the AIG directed the commissioners to ensure the enforcement of the directive in their respective commands.
He also noted that some policemen abandoned their duty post for illegal duties, and warned that severe disciplinary action awaited anyone caught.
He emphasised the need for commands to collaborate with stakeholders and other non-state actors in the Force’s collective quest to rid the zone of all forms of crime and criminality.