President Muhammadu Buharion Monday warned the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force to desist from harassing young people in their efforts to arrest `yahoo boys.’
According to the president, while it is important to haunt down youths who engage in criminal activities security agents should do that with high sense discernment and caution.
He spoke in a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Lagos.
The retreat themed “Repositioning the Force for the Challenges of Effective Policing in the 21st Century’’ had in attendance all commissioners of police, Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Deputy Inspectors General of Police.
According to an online news platform,The Next Edition, the president was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He commended the police force saying the service they rendered was one Nigerians could not do without.
He pointed out that they were the closest to the grassroots, and above every other service represent law and order to the average Nigerian.
“Which is why the police cannot escape public scrutiny and sometimes criticism; Nigerian people old and young want our Police force to be better and to do better; they want to be even prouder of your service than ever before.
“This is why in some of our urban areas we want to see more compliance with the rule of law and in dealing with Nigerians.
“Recently many civil society groups have complained about the arrest of young men and women just because they look successful and are carrying laptops.
“Yes we must apprehend yahoo criminals but we cannot harass young men and women on the streets and in taxis most of whom are merely going about their legitimate businesses.
“There are also cases of extra judicial killings and injuries; misuse of weapons and excessive use of force by some members of the force.
READ ALSO: EFCC Arrests 15 Suspected ‘Yahoo Boys’
“This sort of conduct by a few bad police officers must stop; and it is the duty of you senior and strategic leaders of the Police force to ensure that impunity of any kind is discouraged and punished where it is found.’’
The President described the Nigeria Police force as one of the proudest National assets being the largest police force in Africa, adding that it had some of the best trained and best educated men and women.
“The Nigeria police force led police peace keeping activities in Congo, Namibia, Angola, Western Sahara, Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Afghanistan, Kosovo, East Timor.
“Locally in the past one year alone the Nigeria police has between January and this month arrested over 2,348 Armed Robbery suspects – 1,412 Suspected kidnappers, 694 Murder Suspects, 1,513 Cultists; safely rescued 826 Kidnap victims, recovered-1,660 firearms and 1612 vehicles.
“In the course of duty so many have paid the supreme price; while fighting off robbers, kidnappers and other criminals many have been maimed for life.’’
Buhari pointed out that special trainings were being organised for the Special Units of the Police including the Police Mobile Force,
Special Forces, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Anti-Robbery detachments, Anti-Kidnapping Squads and the Criminal Investigation while resources had been committed to acquiring and deploying electro-muscular disruption technology-based weaponry which is commonly known as Taser or Stun Guns for low-risk police operations.
According to him, the Federal government has facilitated the passage of the Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act, which he has since assented.
“I understand that the Minister of Police Affairs is now working closely with the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the smooth take off of the Fund.
“Furthermore, our effort in embracing community policing as a national security strategy is also informed by the need to close the trust gap between the Police and the citizens, build partnership and strengthen collaboration with communities towards addressing prevalent security threats.
“It is also within this context that the Federal government approved the recruitment of 10,000 junior cadre officers into the Nigeria Police on an annual basis,” he said.
He noted however that government’s efforts would not yield results “if the personnel at the strategic level of policing in Nigeria lack the optimal professional capacity to drive the strategies.’’
Earlier in his welcome address, the Inspector General of Police (IG-P), Mohammed Adamu, said that constant engagement of strategic managers and consistent training and retraining of personnel was crucial for effective policing.
