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Police Must Regain Trust, Confidence Of Nigerians, Osinbajo Tells New IGP

The vice-president urged the new IGP to “stamp out the excesses and abuses and the culture of impunity” from the police force.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said there’s a history of deep-seated mistrust from Nigerians towards the police institution in the country.

Osinbajo said this on Wednesday during the decoration acting inspector-general of police (IGP), Usman Baba, with his new rank at the state house in Abuja.

Osinbajo charged the acting inspector-general of police (IGP), to restore dignity to the force and mend the broken bridges of trust with the public.

Osinbajo told the new IGP that he has assumed office at a turbulent time, noting that task before the new police boss is a painstaking and daunting one.

The vice-president urged the IGP to implement community policing in order to curb the growing insecurity in the country.

“Let me once again, offer my congratulations to you new inspector general of Police on your appointment. Your selection by Mr. President follows a rigorous process where all eligible Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and Assistant Inspectors-General of police were considered. The president then appointed you as the most senior qualified and eligible officer,” Osinbajo said.

“IG, you are assuming office at a very turbulent time in the life of our people. There are multiple threats to law, order and public safety. The role of law enforcement and particular that of the police force as primary agency charged with maintaining law and order has never been more important. The police is our institution of first resort, the first line of defence against crime and anarchy and the first sign of the strength of the state.

“The challenges before you are indeed onerous and will test your mettle, the organisation you are leading is one that is itself facing several challenges. Your officers work still in extremely difficult conditions. And some face the threat of physical harm by terrorists, hostile non-state actors while in the line of duty but they have lived up to expectations.

“There is no question at all that there is a lot that needs to be done. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Under your leadership. The police must now rebuild in some ways also the broken bridges of trust to the public and regain the confidence of the citizenry. This is an ongoing challenge is an ongoing task that the police force and all of the senior members of the police force must take on as a responsibility, that of the continual process of building trust to the Nigerian people.

“One of the ways you can do this is by implementing the community policing policy which had already taken off and reconceptualising policing as a task carried out in partnership with local communities and by officers who are members of these localities. Under your leadership, the force must live up to all of the highest standards of professional conduct and compliance with the rule of law. It must significantly improve the welfare and working conditions of its officers.”