By Ngozi Uwujare

The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba has assured that the Nigeria Police under him would work very hard using new strategies to end the current insecurity in the country.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday Sun, Alkali Baba said Nigerians should be patient with the police as the force strives to confront the various security challenges in the country.

What will you do differently, especially on the issue of kidnapping and armed robbery? 

We have mapped out strategies and we will ensure that the bad situation gradually comes to an end. I have a good vision and mission for the Nigeria Police. I want to rebrand the force and bring back peoples’ confidence. We want the entire public to have confidence in the police. The Nigeria Police is ready any day anytime; they are ready to curtail crime and criminality in their environs.

On the issue of kidnapping and armed robbery, we have started addressing the situation. My advice to the public is that they should report any strange things or incidents. They should quickly inform the police and I assure them that the police will immediately take action and arrest the situation.

We will train and retrain police officers to be fit and be able to combat crime. I have warned police officers against corruption and extra-judicial killing. I have urged them to respect human rights and the Police Act.

I am calling on all our traditional rulers, clerics, and imams to rise up and assist us to talk to our youth to shun violence in their various environments because they are the leaders of tomorrow. Also, very soon, we will have security summits in all geographical areas to enable us dialogue on the way forward with all our elder statesmen and traditional rulers. We are prepared and with the support of the public, crime will gradually reduce in our country.

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I have sent out the Tactical Team, IRT Team, Tactical Squad, Mobile men from various squadrons, IGP Monitoring Unit and moved them to various police state commands that have little crisis. They moved in immediately and some suspects have been arrested and investigation is on.

The Abuja/Kaduna Expressway, we have taken over the situation. We have redeployed some police intelligence officers to the road and we are going to ensure constant raids of all the hideouts along the road with the support of the Kaduna State Police Command.

On the incident at the Imo State Correctional Centre and the burning of the State Police Command, I want to say that investigation is ongoing. I have charged the police officers in Imo State Police Command to rise up to the task to face the challenge and fight the criminals. Right now, Imo State is calm.

What’s the situation with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund?

“My first assignment immediately I was decorated as Acting Inspector General of Police was that I visited the Nigeria Police Trust Fund and pledged to work very closely towards the actualization of the Trust Fund’s vision.

My visit to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund should not be taken for granted. This visit underscores the importance of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund’s much needed intervention for the Nigeria Police Force and my administration’s commitment to the mandate of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund. I promise to work assiduously to deliver on the fund’s mandate to the Nigeria Police.

With my wealth of experience and my management team, we will never disappoint the country. This is a clarion call. Like what I said during my conference with my AIGs and Commissioners of Police, I have given them a marching order to tackle armed robbery and kidnapping in their states. We will continue to give them support by adding more personnel to join them in the operation to flush out the criminals.

I will never disappoint Nigerians and will justify the confidence reposed in me by the president by living up to expectations.