The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 16, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, Ben Okolo, has advised officers of the Rivers State Police Command to uphold justice and fairness in the discharge of their duties.
AIG Okolo, who gave the advice during a familiarisation visit to the Rivers State Command, cautioned officers of the command against making checkpoints areas of extortion, noting that checkpoints are created to help combat crimes.
He commended the performance of operatives of the state command and reminded them of their mandate to ensure that public space is peaceful and secure.
The AIG stated that for the police to achieve operational success, they must treat people with dignity in order not to lose public trust.
He said: “Catching armed robbers is secondary. So, if you make the area calm, you have performed excellently. If you’re arresting those who are committing the crime, you have equally performed well. So, in both ways, this command has performed well. The IG is not mindful of your successes and commitment.”
He said further: “The IG said, as officers of the Nigeria Police, we must ensure we uphold justice, fairness, and human dignity. He said he is going to ensure that all of us restore the Nigeria Police standards and values.
“Our values are to do the right thing. We may have a few that have sworn that the Nigerian Police will be portrayed in a bad light, but we will not allow that.”
Earlier in his speech, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Polycarp-Emeka, told the AIG of the Command’s challenges, including the shortage of arms and ammunition.
