A new Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, formally
took over the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday,
following the retirement of his predecessor, Solomon Arase, a day
earlier. The new police boss was an Assistant Inspector-General of
Police (AIG) in charge of Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, until
his new appointment.
Born on January 15, 1959, he enlisted in the force in 1984 after
earning a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, and later a Law degree from the University of
Maiduguri. He served in the Police Mobile Force for 17 years, and ended
up as its commandant. He also served as Commissioner of Police for
Nasarawa and Kano states. Abroad, he served in the United Nations
Mission in Liberia and East Timor and was awarded the “Medal of Merit”
by the President of East Timor.
The new Acting IGP Idris came into office with great optimism. He has
promised to escalate the anti-corruption campaign of the present
administration by strengthening Police X-Squads throughout the country
and providing incentives and logistics for officers to effectively play
their role in the fight against corruption. He also promised to
re-organise the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to tackle violent
crimes.
Perhaps, his most important promise is his plan to establish forensic
laboratories in all the six geo-political zones which would boost
police investigation capacity and effective crime prosecution. No less
remarkable is his plan for “Joint Operation Centres”, which would serve
as effective coordination hubs with other security agencies to enable
synergy and rapid response to major crises at the shortest possible
time.
It is obvious from indications so far that President Muhammadu Buhari
made a bold and potentially good choice in Idris. Age is also on his
side. The tenure of IGPs in recent times has been between 12 and 15
months. Mr. Idris will top three years before he is due for mandatory
retirement, at which time he should have been able to accomplish some of
the vital tasks he has set for himself. We urge the Nigeria Police
Council to expedite his confirmation to enable him devote his full
attention to his plans.
The herculean tasks that have faced all new IGPs in recent years are
waiting for Mr. Idris, in addition to the ones he has chosen by himself.
He is bound to be confronted by a force that is widely viewed by the
public as corrupt. It might require super-human effort, but we trust
that with honest leadership, the support of President Buhari and the
goodwill and cooperation of all Nigerians, he could usher in a new dawn
in the image of the Police. We also wish to say that he has the
responsibility to remind his officers and men that the Nigeria Police is
a civil force. The temptation to resort to deadly force is always high
when men are armed with automatic weapons and that is where discipline
and training come to bear.
The essence of police work remains the prevention, detection and
prosecution of crime. To do these efficiently needs a lot of hard work.
We urge Mr. Idris to re-orientate the force to be proactive, because
prevention is better than cure. But if disaster strikes and crimes are
committed, the perpetrators must be promptly apprehended and prosecuted.
There are so many unsolved crimes, so many high profile murders that
should present challenges to the new IGP.
It does not make any Nigerian happy when Nigeria Police cells are
cited as scenes of torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment of
suspects. We think the Police should review the issue of detention of
suspects and how to do police work without violating the constitutional
rights of citizens. Too many citizens are held beyond the
constitutionally stipulated period before being taken to court, too many
so-called ‘illegal’ withholding charges are being written. We do not
discount the difficulties of police work – the rise in violent crimes,
armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, murder, assault, gangsterism and
cultism. The takeover of highways by robbers, for example, the
Shagamu-Benin Expressway, is getting too frequent. But it must be done
according to law. The security of life and property is basic to civil
existence. Everyone in the country deserves protection, not just the
rich, the politicians and other elites, for which a high percentage of
the force is deployed.
The welfare of the Police should get the utmost attention of IGP
Idris. The immediate past IGP, Solomon Arase, did well in this regard
and in the bursting of crimes, so the new IGP must continue where he
stopped. He must keep working at improving police welfare, as a deprived
force is more amenable to corruption. The new IGP’s job is clearly well
cut out for him. We congratulate him and wish him success.
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