IG ORDERS AUDIT OF POLICE ARMOURIES NATIONWIDE

As part of the measures to strengthen accountability in the stock of weaponry of the Nigeria Police Force, the acting Inspector-General of Police (IG), Suleiman Abba, has ordered a thorough check and audit of police armouries nationwide. The exercise, which had already commenced, according to a statement signed by the Force spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, would cover all police commands, formations, stations and units across the country. Ojukwu, in the statement, said the measure would also enable the Force to review the current state of arms and ammunition in stock at various police armouries. Meanwhile, the IG, in his resolved to bring to an end, the pervasive communal clashes that have plague different parts of the country, has set up the “Nigeria Police Committee on Prevention and Management of Communal Clashes.” Abba made the announcement during a working visit to Kaduna State yesterday. The committee is co-chaired by four Assistant Inspectors General of Police and has its terms of reference among others to encourage and facilitate dialogue among warring parties, and conduct mediation meetings with aggrieved parties with a bid to peacefully resolving declared differences. Others are the development and application of early warning mechanisms and systems of threats of communal clashes, and mediation and application of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services to avert conciliate and or resolve observed/reported communal disputes before they escalate. The committee has 12 other members drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country. However, Abba has disclosed that the police was fully prepared to ensure the safety of lives and property of Nigerians during the 2015 general election. Speaking shortly after addressing rank and file of the Kaduna State Police Command on Wednesday, Abba said security problems in several states of the federation would be adequately addressed before the February elections. He assured Nigerians that the police were fully prepared to ensure adequate security is provided before and during the elections. The IG said he was on familiarisation visit to Kaduna command to abreast the officers and men of the command about the vision and mission of the police and the need for them to change their negative attitude affecting the image of the police. The acting IG also warned that his administration would not tolerate a situation whereby officers continue to dent the image of the Force by compromising the mission and vision guiding the force. ThisDay (online)