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Christopher Oji
The Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu in charge of Zone 2 Command Headquarters, has called on officers and men of his Command to push behind them the pains suffered during the EndSARS protest.
The AIG pleaded with the Command comprising Lagos and Ogun states to forgive in the spirit of patriotism and reclaim the public spaces.
AIG Iliyasu also said the police officers should put the past behind them in the spirit of nationhood and assiduously work to correct the negative perception about police officers and policing.
He said, “We must have a change of attitude to our duty and put the people as the centre point of our policing.
Iliyasu who was speaking during a motivational workshop and community policing for quality service delivery emphasized that policing strategy should be people centre, satisfactory to the people and good enough to remove the fear and uncertainty in the mind of the people anytime they have contact with the police. The workshop organised in tandem with the community policing intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, AIG Illyasu noted that Policing could be done in a manner that would do least harms and even prevent violence.
He said the streets should not be deserted by the security agents, stressing that the police must be available and respond to call or request for assistance regardless of status or background, ensure accessibility and high Police visibility.
A security expert ,President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) Mr Ona Ekhomu in his paper titled #EndSARS Mass Action And The Governance Of Internal Security In Lagos identified that wanton destruction and looting in the aftermath of the protest was not targeted at the police agency but based on the obvious fact that the attack were specifically on the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According to him, the hoodlums attacked the Police as an observable and exploitable arm of government.
Ekhomu said that the police only bore the brunt of governance issues ranging from the poor remuneration of police, the unemployment of youths, the hunger in the land, the poverty, the anger, the inequality which are not under the control of the police agency.
Ekhomu asked policemen to go back to work.
One of the brains behind the workshop, Matthew Ibadin ,said the workshop has given the police officers a reason to smile again and police the states, noting that given the rights incentives especially with regards to their welfare package, equipment and all that is commensurate with policing in advance countries, like Canada, the Police Force will keep lives and properties safe.
