The Delta State Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba on thursday overruled the new Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Dahiru Abubakar's 'rule of engagement', ordering policemen in the state to return to the roads.
He said policemen in the state must leave the comfort of their stations and "occupy" the streets/roads with intent to scare away the criminals who had hold the state to the jugular.
He warned however against mounting of. roadblocks to extort money from motorists and commuters.
Addressing men and officers of Warri Area Command during his 'operational tour' of police formations in the state, the police boss said the order was because of the high wave of crime in the state.
There have been surge in crime in the state ostensibly after the IG's order to dismantled all roadblocks as well as recent dissolution of the state owned security outfit, the Delta State Waterways Security Committee (DSWS) by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, giving the feelings that there's a plot to force government to restore the old order.
There is hardly a day people are not robbed or kidnapped in the state apparently after policemen were removed from the road and the DSWS was disbanded.
Some state and federal establishing including the Warri Central Hospital and PPMC depot were shut down in the state by workers owing to kidnap of colleagues by ransom-demanding kidnappers who have been on the prowl in the state.
The Police Commissioner who was posted to the state recently, bemoaned the security situation in the state saying; "Am not happy with what I met on ground in Delta State. Security is on the decline in the state and we must redouble our efforts".
While justifying the need to return to the old strategy of checkpoint/roadblocks to curb the growing crime wave, the police boss said; "policing is everybody's business and not a police affairs. The criminals are not spirit, they live among us as such all stakeholders including the press must be involve in tackling the surge in crime".
" I have been on a working tour of the state, I have been to Delta North area and Ughelli and other places but there were no policemen on the road, Aduba said, blaming the upsurge in kidnapping and robbery on what he dubbed "the disappearance of police from the roads".
He said that among measure to tame the criminals in the state is to return the 'stop and search' operation among motorist in the state.
"I am coming out with my own operational strategy to run the security affairs of Delta State", the police chief said.
He noted that he had succeeded with his operational strategy in other state he was posted and expressed optimism that he would succeed in Delta State not mine the challenges of logistic in some stations.
" I have succeeded in many commands so I don't see myself failing here. I will succeed in my duty and responsibility in Delta but I need all stake holders to succeed".
"My constitutional duty is to deal with crime in the state and we shall confront the kidnappers and armed robbers head-on and we will succeed".
According to the state police commissioner: "The IG instruction was not to stop the 'stop and search' operation, the IG didn't say we should leave the road for criminal to have field day, the IG only dismantled the 'roadblock' not the 'operations'.
"IG said, stop mounting of roadblock. And stop extorting motorist. Don't constitute long queues on the road. Check one or two vehicles and allow the queue to run" the Delta CP said.
Apart from checking incidents of kidnapping, the police are to tackle robbery and cult-related killings, which have become common in most parts of the state in the last one month.
The CP said, “The Inspector-General of Police did not say you (police) should leave the roads, but he said you should not collect money from commuters. I hope you are not going against orders.
He added, “You have to move with the IG or you will have yourself to blame. It is no longer business as usual because I am not happy with what is on the ground. You must level kidnappers.
“Whenever and wherever you see them, you must level them and that is an order, but you must obey the rules of engagement. Don’t kill innocent and unarmed citizens.”
He said operations would be restructure in the Warri Area Command just as he hint operation would be intensified around Sapele/Benin expressway, Adeje, Jesse expressway area which is prone to robbery and kidnapping in the state.
The police chief also directed that all policemen, especially in Warri must ‘’book’’ their resumption and exit from duty every day.
Aduba told the officers consisting of Inspectors and above that some of them would be moved from their locations to other areas for effective policing in the state.
The state police CP who read the Riot Act while addressing police Area Commands and DPOs warned that henceforth, he would hold Area Commands, 'Command Operation Officers' and DPOs personally and directly responsible for operational and investigative misdemeanours occurring within their jurisdictions.
" We are going to take census of policemen in each police formations in the state and any DPO who don't report to duty on time and close before midnight would be sanction. It will not be business as usual for the police, we must be seen as doing our jobs and policemen who fails in their duties would be redeploy"
“From now, any DPO that leaves office before midnight will be removed. This is not a threat, but if you try it, I will move you to the headquarters or operations where you will be reading newspapers and telling us what is happening in the country.
“There is nothing personal about it, but discipline must be enforced. Anyone of you in Warri must book your arrival time. We want to know where you are at every point. Some of you are working for private companies and we won’t see you on your duty post.”
He urged officers and men of the Command to sit up or prepare to be sanctioned saying we will no longer tolerate officers’ noncommittal attitude to work, we will not tolerate indiscipline, indolence, corruption, inefficiency and all the negative tendencies that have brought much disgrace to the force.
Aduba said that the new IGP, Abubakar was fully aware of the administrative and operational challenges confronting the police force which he's already addressing and urged police officers to start being patriotic and dutiful.
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