The new Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Polycarp Emeka Abonyi (PhD) has been mandated to carry out full fight against gangs and criminals in the state to make the state safe.
The Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, who gave the mandate on Friday, June 16, 2023, told the new CP to be firm and forthright in tackling all forms of crime in the state, as well as give listening ear to every complaint without bias or favour to address security issues holistically.
Fubara particularly frowned at the activities of some police officers operating in the guise of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state when such a unit of the police was disbanded a long time ago.
The governor directed the new police commissioner to look into those operations and ensure that it ceases to function in the state so that members of the public do not continue to suffer harassment from them.
Fubara gave the charge during a courtesy visit to him by the new Police Commissioner where the governor identified the importance of the Nigeria Police in the fight against crime and criminality.
The governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to sustaining support to all security agencies in the state to ensure that the security of lives and property is not compromised.
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He said it would require regular logistics support from the government and vital information elicited from members of the public.
“Let your familiarity with Rivers State security terrain be an advantage to effectively combat crime and criminalities in the State, and I urge you to deploy your wealth of experience in fighting crime and insecurities in the State, the governor noted.
“The importance of security is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders and so we urge you to get to the bottom of complaints from citizens in consideration of security matters, as the people were always directly affected during security breaches,” he emphasised.
He also directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacheous Adango, and other relevant agencies of government to create a strong synergy with the Police and other security agencies in terms of institutional relationship in handling security issues.
Speaking earlier, the new Rivers State Police Commissioner said under his watch, accurate information and intelligence will be deployed in fighting crime and criminality in the State.
He informed that in the last two weeks, the fight against criminal elements has been formidable with appreciable results. Emeka assured that with more support both from the government and members of various communities, more milestone will be achieved in making the State safer for all residents.
“My primary duty here is to tackle crime and criminality effectively. And to achieve this, all hands must be on deck as we seek the help of the Government of Rivers State and good spirited people of the State to achieve this.”
According to him, “Information or intelligence gathering is key in fighting crime and it will be deployed fully as we synergize with Government and sister agencies for robust policing.”
