IGP Egbetokun-Led Police Friendship - By Bolaji O. Akinyemi

 

The article titled; "IGP Egbetokun Starts Off on Wrong Foot", was sent out through my WhatsApp platform on Wednesday, 28th June 2023 at 12:58PM, in an hour it had gone viral and by 3:36PM, that's within 2 hours 22mins, I got a call, the interaction with the caller will shift my position and change the narrative.

The new IGP is a man I don't think I have ever met. Not withstanding, we have expectation within the context of our situation in Nigeria. When his appointment was announced, our hopes were raised in the capacity of a man that may have one, two or three maximum as his equal in terms of capacity in the Nigeria Police.

Egbetokun in the first place is a decisive individual known to be firmly rooted in his ideology, his antecedents in the Service speak to this. His academic exploits is a reflection of a focused and studious mind, a graduate of mathematics from the University of Lagos with his Masters in Engineering and PhD in Peace and Conflict Resolution. Commissioned into the police as mobile police man, no one but him should know better about the use of the Police Mobile Force, which is today grossly abused. 

If the use of a thing is not known, abuse they say is inevitable! The statement is the best way to capture what my discussion was with a caller who engaged me to know the purpose of my article. How convincing I sounded on the need to see Nigeria transformed and working is left to the caller who came to me like the big man himself, though when I asked for his identity he declined to reveal it. He however left me in no doubt of what to expect of the Nigeria Police going forward. He took me on a short Public Identification Course of the Nigerian Police, the blue beret, red beret, green beret, cream beret and the black beret which is conventional.

He clearly stated the IGP is not withdrawing Police Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police from VIP, but the Police Mobile Force, which is a special unit of the police. The need to enforce fully the Police Act for effective policing is sancrosant at reversing the rot in the service.

Every unit of the service will now function as the Police Act intended for them to, and not as society finds for them. 

In my article; "Tinubu's One Month old Presidency; EFCC Chairman will Determine What to Expect from this Administration" 

I adduced reasons Tinubu's appointment of Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser is in tandem with the spirit of democracy. I also stated unequivocally that Police is the institution that must lead internal security in a democracy.

Our biggest problem I stated is a sustained structure and undue recognition beyond what the recommendation should be of the military in a democracy. 

Who ever my caller was, he was clear in his explanation and I was equally given to understanding. The withdrawal of Police Mobile Force will help the military focus on their duties as prescribed by the constitution. As Police Mobile Force most of whom are presently attached to VIPs will now be available to perform their roles as detailed by the Police Act.

The lofty ideas shared with me should lead us to lofty heights attainment. Egbetokun should bring that capacity to bear by way of urgency of what we need. The expectations of the people is what my article has expressed and the listening ear of the Police is appreciated.

My caller spoke well because it is true that the Mobile Police Force seems to be monopolized as it were by the upper class and in the concept of the IGP, that should not be so and which indeed of a truth should not. People have come ahead of him and could not do much. They are always submerged in the system and its rot. Egbetokun is saying no, he is invoking Police Act to say look, the Police Mobile Force is a Special Force. He is looking at another act which puts supernumerary Police as a template for the initial implementation of community policing. The Spy Unit will now start operation, with the weight of experience of the IGP and his determination to keep to the police Act, we should all be looking forward to a new police for the new Nigeria from the IGP.

The hands of our new Sheriff seems to have taken hold of the trunk of the tree ready to shake vigorously, rotten fruits may have no place in the service and as the saying goes heads may roll.

Let me commend Nigerians to the rhetoric of many years that became the reality of my experience with my strange caller; Police is Your Friend, I met one on phone yesterday. My question is, are we prepared for Egbetokun-led Police friendship or are we going to keep acting like enemies?

The idea is good but will the federal government support his idea and equip the mobile police? Or do we expect the mobile police to go and take over their constitutional acts of internal security without equipment that we see some of them on duties without arms. I think a gradual process will be a good one not in a hurry as the IGP sound.

There are so many things wrong with Nigeria. The major problem is that we tend to believe that things are not particularly bad. I'll give an example with the office of the national security adviser and then link it to the Nigerian Police.

The new NSA is not fit for that job. Nuhu Ribadu is known for what he did as the chairman of EFCC and is a former policeman. The office of the NSA coordinates the security thrust for the country. In a way this job is more important & hands-on than that of the minister of defence. It therefore means that someone from Intelligence or with a background in the military has this job. The insecurity we are currently faced with namely terrorism, kidnapping, brazen banditry, pipeline breaching etc calls for someone with a skill set that Ribadu doesn't possess. 

Again, we know the perception the defence/ intelligence/ security community have of the police force. Even Civil Defence dey raise shoulder for them. Sometime in 2019 or so an individual was killed by a personnel of the Customs at a border in Ogun State and the police didn't investigate the matter because the spokesperson for the Customs put out a communique that they were looking into the matter. We also recall what happened when some police officers who captured a notorious kidnapper were killed by some soldiers at a checkpoint. Nothing came out of it. In 2020 Tolulope Arotile, the combat helicopter pilot, was killed in a "freak accident". The suspect after interrogation was supposedly handed over to the police. This "suspect" has not been arraigned till date.

In the light of the above how can an ex-policeman summon and receive briefings from the security chiefs and the heads of DSS & NIA? It's not as though Ribadu even made the rank of IG of Police. Let me not go into how Ribadu is supposed to have said BAT is one of the most compromised governors during his stint as EFCC chairman. 

Until there is a reformation of sorts in Nigeria there won't be any change. The acting IGP cannot then do much. We are in trouble in Nigeria but we don't know how far gone we are into the mess we are faced with.

Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. Convener Apostolic Round Table ART and BOT Chairman Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA, PVC-Naija.

bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com

08033041236

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