ADDRESS BY Ag. IGP SOLOMON E. ARASE, fdc, NPM, AT THE

ADDRESS BY Ag. IGP SOLOMON E. ARASE, fdc, NPM, AT THE INAUGURAL CONFERENCE WITH CPs, AIGs AND DIGs HELD ON TH​
WEDNESDAY 29​
APRIL, 2015 AT THE FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA It is my honour and privilege to welcome you to my inaugural meeting with Assistant Inspectors­General of Police and Commissioners of Police. In so doing, I wish toformally thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan ​
GCFR for considering me worthy of appointment as the Acting Inspector­General of Police of this great nation. Beyond being symbolic of the confidence reposed in my professional ability, my choice among other equally competent officers at this crucial time in our nation’s history represents a wake­up call to the Nigeria Police Force under my command to fashion out new approaches to policing in Nigeria.It is for this reason that this meeting was convened. 2.
The meeting is designed to achieve four major purposes. First is to enable professional interaction between the Police Management Team and field officers and create a peer review platform that will strengthen our crime management ability. Second is to evaluate police performance during the recently concluded general elections. This is with a view to identifying performance gaps and critical operational challenges that can be addressed in the process of planning for future electoral engagements. 3.
The third purpose of this Conference is to evolve plans for a seamless Presidential, Governorship and State/National Assembly inauguration ceremonies, while the fourth is to lay out the policy thrust of my administration and define clear implementation strategies.The detail Strategic Policing Plan which has been developed will be availed all 1
strategic police managers here present for their strict guidance. The plan is designed to courageously and professionally address critical issues affecting the optimal performance of the Police, while also striving to restore citizens’ trust as a conscious strategy aimed at managing crime and enhancing national security. 4.
Critical policing areas to be addressed by the Strategic Plan include the following i.
Corruption​
–The loss of public respect and confidence in the Police as well as our inability to effectively tackle crimes in the most ethical and professional manner have been widely attributed to the challenge of corruption within the policing system. This administration intends to pursue a two­way approach in addressing the menace of corruption in the Police. The first is to develop frameworks and interventions thatwill address root causes of corruption​
. In this regard, official factors like logistics and welfare challenges that create grounds for corrupt tendencies by police officers will be vigorously addressed. The second approach is to pursue a very robust ​
anti­corruption enforcement strategy that will leave no serving police officer and citizens under any illusion about its integrity, and firm commitment to national ethical rebirth and development. The drive will be clear, coordinated, massive,firm and sustained and it will target and tackle issues relating to commercialization of bail process, the nuisance of road blocks; abuse of police powers, particularly, in relation to pre­trial detention. 2
The enforcement process of this policy will engender the rejuvenation, refocusing, empowerment and motivation of the Monitoring Units, X­Squads and Provost Marshal Sections of the Force to enhance their competence and to effectively position them to lead the anti­corruption drive. Accordingly, very soon, the nation will witness a massive and sustained nationwide deployment of the anti­corruption action Units of the Force for enforcement functions. The enforcement initiatives will, however, be laced with in­house and national public anti­corruption enlightenment programmes, a whistle­blowing mechanism, and push for enhanced welfare and logistics empowerment as a preventive measure to petty corruption in the Force. I must sound a note of warning here. The new anti­corruption crusade of the Force will take full cognisance of the appropriate sections of our criminal laws and hold both the giver and taker of bribes accountable. Accordingly, much as official corruption will be dealt with in the Force, corrupt­minded members of the public are sternly warned to refrain from corrupting the police system as they will also be brought to the justice they equally deserve. 5.
Aside anti­corruption which represents the core of my policing Vision, other vital components of the Strategic Plan include the following: i.
Human­Rights Driven Policing​
– which will address citizens concern for custodial violence (including abuse of power of pre­trial detention, poor and inhabitable custodial facilities, violations of rights of detainees, forced confessions, misuse of firearms, and any other official 3
police action that amounts to degradation of human dignity and deprivation of liberty and right to life in violation of provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Human Rights provisions as enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution ii.
iii.
iv.
Intelligence­Led Investigation/ Operations and Community Partnership ​
– This will engender massive training of Intelligence and Crime Analysts as a conscious strategy of broadening the Intelligence/Crime Analysis base of the Force; and establishment and equipment of Intelligence/Crime Analysis Laboratory in all State Commands. Application of intelligence – led policing strategy will discourage custodial approach to investigations as the intelligence assets of the Force would have been deployed to gather evidence before a suspect will be considered for arrest. It will also shorten the time between arrest and commencement of prosecution. Case Diversion, Fast Track Trials and Restorative Justice – The plan is to collaborate with experts in the enhancement of our capacity to engage alternative dispute resolution options in peace, security and crime management in line with modern and global dictates. Engagement of cutting­edge technology and best practices to all levels of police functions in Nigeria – This strategy will revolutionalise policing in Nigeria by navigating the Nigeria Police from the current analogue and conventional policing approaches to engagement of full policing technology to all crime management and operational activities of the Force. 4
In launching the NPF into the technology­driven policing world, emphasis will be on Crime Scene Management; establishment of State­of­the art National Forensic Support Centre; In­car camera and in­car data base access to support patrol functions; establishment of National Criminal Data Base (Criminal Investigations Record System); exploring possibility of securing authorised access to existing Data Bases (National Identity Card Management Data Base; FRSC Motor Licence Data Base; etc) that could support police operations; Crime Mapping; exploration of possibility of engagement of less lethal technologies/weapon system such as electro­muscular disruption technology (Taser or Stun Guns) by police on routine patrol functions to reduce incidents of fatalities associated with misapplication of lethal weapons by the police. v.
6.
Human Capacity Development​
: Galvanising development partners including the UN, US, UK, Commonwealth Secretariat, and local and International NGOs to support the identification of the training gaps in the NPF and provide appropriate interventions. This will also entail the phased renovation and upgrade of facilities at existing police institutions to meet best international standards as well as the review of existing Training Curricula and standards with a view to aligning them to modern dictates. In order to facilitate the attainment of the long­term objectives of these Strategies, I have directed as follows: 5
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
The IGP Monitoring Unit, X­Squad and Force Provost Marshall of the Force have been motivated and directed to immediately embark on massive anti­corruption enforcement operations. Any police officer caught either through whistle­blowing framework or direct operations of the enforcement Units of the Force will be appropriately dealt with in line with established disciplinary procedure of the Force and may additionally be prosecuted in the swiftest fashion. While visible policing will be enhanced, I wish to in clear terms, re­emphasise that police road blocks remain banned. They are public nuisance, points of corruption, and source of police­citizens’ frictions. The Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in whose jurisdiction illegal road blocks are detected will be personally or vicariously held liable and strict and swift disciplinary actions will be initiated against such officers​
. The Nigeria Police Intelligence School, Enugu which has been closed to academic activities for over a year is to immediately re­open and commence training activities for intelligence operatives, analysts and strategic intelligence managers to support the intelligence­led policing Vision of my leadership with th​
effect from Monday 4​
May, 2015. In order to ensure that the maximum security needed to give our Magistrates, Judges and Justices the confidence to dispense criminal justice is attained, the ​
Judges Protection Unit will be immediately re­constituted and specially equipped. Any nation desirous of justice owes its Magistrates, Judges and Justices the sacred obligation of protection. This I intend to advance. Consequently, police security details attached to civil 6
commissioners and other unauthorised individuals across the country will be reduced or withdrawn as the case may be. The manpower drawn from this exercise will be committed to rejuvenation of the Judges Protection Unit. 7.
Ladies and gentlemen, while all efforts will be made to address the peculiar logistic and welfare challenges of the Force, and while my management team and I are determined to restore the lost primacy of the Nigeria Police Force as the lead internal security management agency in Nigeria, the best way to commence this journey is to undertake a well­intentioned programme that will engender paradigm shift within our policing system. 8.
It is now a matter of choice. For the serving police officer, a choice between national service which will be duly rewarded, and corruptionwhich will be swiftly sanctioned. For the citizens, it is a choice between supporting their Police to protect them with honour or compromising them to weaken their capacity and dignity. Whatever is the consideration, Nigeria Police has reached a turning point where it must rediscover itself, restore citizens’ confidence, and prove that it has a cream of patriotic, disciplined and professional officers that can and will ensure the attainment of its Mandate. This requires leadership with character, courage, Vision and passion. I am committed to providing this leadership. But, in so doing, I crave for the support and understanding of the citizens and most importantly, you, the gentlemen and women of the Press. 9.
Let me end this address by once again by assuring the Federal Government and citizens of this great nation that the confidence reposed in me will not be misplaced as I am determined to deploy my broad professional and intellectual assets in providing quality professional leadership for the Nigeria Police Force. I can also reassure the nation of 7
my firm determination to restore the lost primacy of the Nigeria Police while engaging innovative policing frameworks to engender national peace and security. 10. I thank you and pray that you all remain blessed as you join me in this journey. 8