AIG,Babaita  hints on new strategy to curb crime, attitudinal change by Police officers  By Ahmed Ajikobi

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 8, Lokoja, Kogi State, Babatunde Babaita Ishola, on Wednesday said the Police under the leadership of the Acting Inspector General, Kayode Egbetokun is harnessing the power of technology to tackle insecurity.

The AIG disclosed this in Ilorin, Kwara State Capital while meeting with the senior officers and security stakeholders as part of the three-day working visit to the state.

“The Nigeria Police Force under the command of the Acting Inspector-General of Police, in its quest to stamp out violent crimes and their detrimental and debilitating effects on the security of our society, will forge ahead to tackle the menace of crimes and criminality head on with the establishment of a specialized Quick Intervention Squad which will comprise combat ready Police Mobile Force personnel with effective and enhanced training in crisis de-escalation and violent crime reduction strategies.

“This will lead to a review of the engagemernt patterns of the Police Mobile Force in a bid to restore the days of glory of the Police Mobile Force as a punching arm of the Police.

“Furthernmore, the force shall embrace innovation and technology as powerful allies in our fight against crime. The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and so we must adapt to the evolving landscape of crime.

“Criminals today are more sophisticated, more organized, and more ruthless than ever before. We will further leverage cutting-edge tools, data analytics, and intelligence networks to stay one step ahead of those who seek to disrupt the peace.

“This we will do through a robust and effective human and technical intelligence gathering process to enhance our capacity.

“By harnessing the power of technology, we can make our streets safer, our investigations more efficient, and our communities more resilient.”

The police boss added that the Inspector-General of Police’s administration shall prioritize enhancing the Nigeria Police training curriculum with a special focus on attitudinal and behavioral changes for new recruits as well as reorientation programs for serving officers in order to further refine the perception of officers to concepts of human rights, rule of law, and citizen-focused policing.

Earlier in her welcome address, the host Commissioner of Police, Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi, said the Command under her watch has made a significant improvement in the area of peace and security of lives and properties in the state.

“The command under my watch has confronted the menaces of cultism and kidnappings with uncommon vigor. The support of the people and the determination of my men has made taming of these monsters less difficult to tackle.

“AIG sir, I want to inform you that the task of maintaining and sustaining peace and security in the state is so daunting, but with the support of the traditional institutions in the state under the chairmanship of our highly revered royal father, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Sulu Gambari CFR, the Emir of Ilorin and other traditional rulers in the state has helped in making our tasks easy.

“I can’t but also mention that the synergy among security services in the state is top-notch when it comes to issues of collaboration to deal with security issues in the state.

The Commissioner also lauded the Acting IG for consistent support to the Command said “The command has implemented all the policies initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, which has helped us in our day-to-day policing activities.”

The Commissioner of Police also seized the avenue to express appreciation to the State Government under the leadership of Governor AbdulRhman AbdulRazaq for the provision of operational vehicles, and funds.