In what looks like his maiden visit outside Abuja, the Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun visited Lagos which was to him like a birthplace. OGUNTADE ISMAILA reports on his activities during the visit.
The visit to Lagos state by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has come and gone but the memories it left behind has continued to linger on. In fact, the memories remain historic, unique and impactful on policing and security administration in Nigeria.
The IGP’s visit came with it a flurry of activities including the commissioning of the Lagos State Complaint Response Unit Centre, commissioning of a medical centre at mopol 22 as well as visits to various police formations in the state and paying of courtesy calls on traditional rulers and other important personalities.
This is why the IGP’s chief host and Commissioner of Police in the state, Idowu Omohunwa, was at his behest.
He was excited more so as he has fully mobilized his officers and men across the state to enhance the success of the IGP’s visit.
No doubt, this endeavour by Omohunwa was fully accomplished by him and his team with professional touch, going by the outcomes of the visit.
Like a home-coming
Feeling nostalgic, the IGP who described his maiden visit to Lagos as a home-coming was full of joy as he moved about in the state with great energy and optimism.
In his speech, Egbetokun, who described himself as a ‘Lagos man’ having studied and worked in various capacities in the state for years, said he was in Lagos to achieve some significant objectives, including commissioning of the Complaint Response Unit.
He therefore lauded the CP for the prompt establishment of the Complaint Response Unit, adding that on his assumption of duty, he had issued directives that all commissioners of police should comply strictly with the provision of Section 131 of the Police Act 2020 which gives power to the Inspector General of Police to establish in each states of the federation a Complaint Response Unit.
He said the purpose of the unit is, among others, not to witch-hunt police officers, but to promote accountability in the police.
“It is going to enhance police-community collaboration and builds confidence in the members of the public,” he said.
While soliciting for public cooperation to enhance policing, he said officers to man the units would be carefully selected based on their credibility, capacity and other factors.
The IGP promised to make the units fully functional with modern infrastructure across the country.
A more elated Lagos CP speaks
The Lagos CP Omohunwa was upbeat that his command was keeping faith with all the IGP’s directives to them on security of the state and the welfare of his officers and men. He therefore commended his boss for the visit.
The CP who was obviously elated by the visit of his boss said, “This visit is significant as among others; it symbolises a home-coming for the IGP, an opportunity for personnel of the command to enjoy the privilege of interacting with the IGP and commit themselves to his strategic policing and vision.”
He said security under his command was unique, adding that demography and socio-economic interplays combine to.pose challenge to policing the state.
He pointed to cultism threats, armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, sexual and gender-based issues as critical challenges his command had been addressing frontally.
The CP said, “We are constantly confronted with the challenge of land disputes, traffic gridlock/robberies.”
He lamented the increasing proliferation of illegal firearms, illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
Omohunwa however assured that his command was dealing with them effectively even as he said that as local fabrication of arms like AK-47 and other assault rifles rear their ugly heads, his command was one step ahead of them by dealing with all such.
He said he would soon organise a conference to sensitise the people on the adverse effects of cultism and violent crimes in the state, adding that as a step forward, his command is in partnership with the First Lady of Lagos state to address sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
The CP said his commands has keyed into the vision.of the IGP on intelligence-led , citizen-driven and operational proactive policing, inter-agency synergy with the Military, Department of State Services, (DSS) and others to address problem-solving issues, and as part of his strategic leadership initiative.
He said he was mindful of public confidence in the police and has gone ahead to reorientate his command in order to keep abreast with such demands.
According to him, his command has taken the lead in establishing the Complaint Response Unit, to enhance the job, adding that the IGP could encourage other state commands to leverage on the Lagos initiative and establish theirs.
He lauded firms and individuals who contributed to the establishment of the unit.
Omohunwa assured his boss and Nigerians of a safer Lagos under his watch.
Legal luminaries echo their voices
Also, words of encouragement to the police from some Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, reverberated at the programme.
For example, Mr Femi Falana lauded Omohunwa for doing well, including maintaining the Ikeja headquarters of the command very well.
He said the policemen should keep abreast with Police Establishment Act 2020 and that torture is now a serious offence for which the force must be guided about it.
He vowed to continue to collaborate with the policemen on duty in order to establish a well-managed crime free situation in the country.
According to the learned lawyer, he and his wife are doing a lot to help resolve some teething civil-police court cases, including the policy banning police women from getting pregnant until after three years of joining the force.
For the former president, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide Akpata (SAN), he went down memory lane saying that he had been an advocate for the establishment of the Complaint Centre and commended the command for taking the lead in establishing it.
