The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has said the Force will henceforth carry out urine tests on all policemen for signs of drug abuse before they are issued lethal weapons or posted to their operational points.
Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase
Apart from denying access to firearms or retrieving guns from officers who failed such drug tests, Arase stated that the police would provide appropriate help to wean them from drugs or other emotional or psychological issues that may trigger fatal outcomes in their line of duty.
The IG said this on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of drug testing and campaign against sudden death among police officers organised in collaboration with Hypertension and Diabetes Awareness Foundation.
Arase said the police had attracted public odium through misapplication of weapons which he said could be due to mishandling of firearms by police officers who were psychologically unfit to handle weapons at that particular time.
He said, “Some of these psychological problems could also have resulted from drug abuse by few of our men. We have therefore decided that the medical assessment of persons we recruit into the police force will include a psychological assessment.
“In addition, effective immediately, we will carry out snap urine tests for signs of drug abuse on all policemen before we issue any lethal weapons to them or at their operational points. We are in partnership with a reputable group of psychiatrists and psychologists in this project.”
The police chief said he had initiated a policing strategy that would make the Nigeria Police transit from exclusive reliance on lethal weapons in the management of threats and social disorders to the engagement of less lethal weapon system such as electro-muscular disruption weaponry, known as taser or stun gun.
“Orders have been placed for this weaponry and adequate training framework is being put in place; my long term vision is to effectively address issues that engender misuse of firearms and give true meaning to our mandate of safeguarding the lives of our citizens,” he added.
To commemorate the World Health Day on Diabetes, the IG said he had directed the Force Medical Department to screen policemen for chronic non-communicable diseases, including diabetes and hypertension.
He encouraged police officers to come forward for the medical screening, stating that the force needed a healthy workforce to carry out its responsibilities.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase and other security agencies to take all necessary action to ensure the safe and speedy rescue of Chief Olu Falae, who was abducted from his farm on Monday.
Olu Falae
He also condemned the “callous and reprehensible” kidnapping of the 77-year-old former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and an elder statesman.
The president called for constant updates from the police and security agencies on efforts to rescue Chief Falae. He denounced the recurring incidents of criminal abductions across the country.
Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, assured Chief Falae’s family, friends and other concerned Nigerians that the Federal Government will do all within its powers to ensure his swift release.
The president assured Nigerians that ongoing efforts to significantly enhance the security of lives and property in the country will continue apace and that under his leadership, Nigerians, irrespective of their status, will no longer be left at the mercy of criminal elements.
The Ondo State police urged the family of the elder statesman not to pay any ransom as demanded by his abductors.
The abductors slashed N10 million off the N100 million they initially demanded.
A family source said on Tuesday that they had only been able to raise N2 million.
Police Spokesman Wole Ogodo said police will not support the idea of paying ransom before the release of the elder statesmen.
Ogodo noted that the police’s rescue team led by Commissioner of Police Mike Ogbodu, was working hard at rescuing Falae alive.
While the rescue mission is ongoing, a 70-year-old pastor in charge of the Apostolic Church in Ilepa, Ikare-Akoko, was yesterday kidnapped along the Auga-Akunnu road in Akoko Norh East local government area of the state.
The suspected gunmen demanded N16million as ransom.
The Divisional Police Officer (DP0) in Akoko North East, Musiliu Sogbade, confirmed the abduction.
Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the local government, Alhaji Azees Umar, urged the security agents to rescue the cleric.
Also yesterday, the headship of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) called for divine intervention in Falae’s abduction
At the Standing Committee Meeting (SCM) of the Church held at the St. David Anglican Cathedral, Ijomu, Akure chaired by the Primate of All Nigeria, Rev. Nicholas Okoh, the church expressed dismay over the development.
The SCM is made up of Archbishops from various Provinces and over 80 Bishops from across Anglican Dioceses across the country.
Chief Falae is the Chairman, Local Organising Commitee(LOC) for the Conference hosted by the Akure Diocese.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state also warned against politicisation of the abduction of the elder statesman.
The APC said those imputing politics into the kidnap of Chief Falae should rather join hands with family, friends and the good people of Ondo state to pray for the safe release of Chief Falae.
Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr. Abayomi Adesanya, said people should rather pray for the release of the elder statesman.
“We don’t even need to blame anybody for now, we should all pray for the release of Chief Falae, it is important that at this point in time for all and sundry join hands and look beyond political differences to make efforts that “Baba” is released.
“Chief Falae’s kidnap is an unfortunate situation, but using it for political discourse is bad and inhuman. Let’s pray to God to ensure his release safe and alive” the APC said.
The National Association Nigerian Students (NANS) gave kidnappers 48 hours to free Falae.
A statement signed by NANS Vice President on national affairs, Gbenga Ayenuro, condemned the abduction.
“NANS condemns in its totality and entirety the abduction of Falae.
“It is disheartening, pathetic, appalling that the elder statesman who has been contributing immensely to the advancement of the socio-political landscape of the country and a dogged fighter working assiduously for tranquility and national unity across ethnic lines in Nigeria can be abducted by evil men.
“The nation at large should join hands to prevent and counter terrorism and incessant rise in abduction cases in the country,” the statement said.
Farmers in Ondo state have also threatened to wage war against the Fulani herdsmen in the state.
The Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association issued the threat at the Stakeholders’ Meeting on OSACA Micro-finance Bank held at the Fadama Hall, Ministry of Agriculture, Alagbaka, Akure.
The group gave a seven-day ultimatum to the government to secure the release of the elder statesman, who is an elder of the association .
“What we are saying is that the abduction of Chief Falae is unacceptable to we farmers in Ondo state and the Southwest. We therefore give a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to secure the release of Chief Falae, if he is not released within the next seven day, the farmers in Ondo State will take action that will have a national impact.
“We should not forget the Agbekoya war in the old Oyo State.”
Former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Kingsley Kuku, also called for an unconditional release of Chief Falae, saying the abduction of the septuagenarian politician is “absurd and barbaric considering the age and background of the former Minister for Finance”
In a statement, he called on the relevant security agencies to expedite action towards securing Falae’s freedom.
Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement, by its Director of Publicity Ayo Fadaka, expressed worry over the criminal incursion of the herdsmen into the state.
“We use this opportunity to call on the law enforcement agencies to do all in their power to apprehend and bring to justice those responsible for this indecent assault on the person and status of Chief Olu Falae.
“We also want to emphasise that, tackling these types of crimes by every state can only be possible if the much needed restructuring of our federalism is prosecuted with urgency as this will give every state the constitutional power to organise and control its own security as it obtains in other notable federalism around the world.
“The current constitution describes governors as Chief Security Officers without any security organisation directly under their controls.
“The issue of State Police is a desire that must be met at once as many challenges hitherto unknown in our clime is now in force, and the appropriate response to them is if every state can fashion how its territory is secured.
“Nigeria can no longer pretend that the security tactics and format of the 19th century will effectively address the challenges of this century. We urge those holding Chief Falae to release him forthwith and also call on the security agencies to upscale their act, locate and release Chief Falae immediately.”
Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has donated medical supplies and three tanks for storing water to Internally Displaced Persons at a camp in Uhogua village, Ovia North East Local Government.
Out of the 900 Boko Haram victims that were brought to camp, 142 of them were returned to their families two weeks ago.
Arase assured the IDPs who are mostly children that adequate security would be provided for them.
Represented by Force Medical Officer, AIG Grace Okudo, Arase promised the IDPs that they would not lack anything.
The police boss said his men would be on ground to meet the needs of the Boko Haram victims especially as it relates to their general well-being.
According to him; “We will do our best for you. We know many diseases can be caused by water so we brought these Geepee tanks.
“You will not miss anything. Our team from Asaba and Benin will be visiting to know your needs particularly as regards your health issues. We will be coming always to see what we can do.”
Founder of the International Christian Mission, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, thanked the police boss for his intervention.
ABUJA- GOVERNORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday cautioned the Inspector- General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase against over heating the polity over plans to arrest and investigate the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu on alleged alliteration of the Senate Rules.
The governors under the aegis, PDP Governors’ Forum while condemning in very strong terms what they termed, the police harassment of Senator Ike Ekweremadu under the guise of investigating the alteration of senate standing rules, described the moves by the Police as the obvious prodding of the police by the Presidency and the APC as a result of “their desperation to remove the deputy senate president who was elected by his peers.”
In a statement released in Abuja by the media office of the forum and signed by Patrick Okon, the forum also called on the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Hajia Amina Bala Zakari to as a matter of urgency resign because of obvious conflict of interests as a result of her alleged long standing relationship with President Mohammadu Buhari both on family and official levels.
According to the statement, “The honourable thing for Mrs. Zakari to do is to recuse herself of this role as nobody who knows the level of her relationship with the President can believe she will be impartial in her conduct of any matter that the President has vested interest, in this case the success of APC over the PDP in any election especially with the governorship elections coming up in Bayelsa and Kogi states.”
The statement also declared support for the re-election bid of governors Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa and Idris Wada of Kogi state in the forth coming governorship elections in these states, noting that the people will show their confidence in the performance of their governors by re-electing them convincingly.
The governors called on Nigerians to hold the APC accountable to all the broken promises so far claiming that the ruling Party has shown itself incapable of delivering on the change it promised during the campaign
The inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Tuesday said the withdrawal of military checkpoints will restore the police mandate of ensuring internal security.
Arase also disclosed that force top hierarchy has concluded arrangements on dress code for the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the police.
The IGP spoke during a meeting with Commissioners of Police in Abuja.
He said: “The withdrawal of the military should not create any fear in the minds of Nigerians, we have done it before and we are going to do it again. We have about 555 vehicles on the highway nationwide, each state has about 15 vehicles to man the highway.
“Besides that, prior to this time, most of the states had about 20 vehicles each. They are not sufficient but what we have now should do to ensure that we are able to secure the highway space.
“Constitutionally, other security agents have the responsibility to also complement the efforts of the NPF, asking us to take over the responsibility of the roadblocks which originally was supposed to be our turf will not create any vacuum.
“Nigerians I believe will not want to listen to excuses from us and we have opportunity now to take over our mandate of securing the internal security space.”
On the proposed dress code for SARS, the IGP said: “We have discussed it extensively in management and we have agreed that there should be a dress code for all our SARS so that they would be identified with it.
“We are trying to get some designs and the DIG in charge of logistics is expected to bring that up to management for approval and once that is done, we will unveil it and everybody will know the dress code for SARS operatives nationwide.”
The Inspector – General of Police, Solomon Arase, has urged Nigerians to assist the police to become better by reporting corruption, bribery and bad conduct in the force.
Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase
Arase said this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Monday during a sensitisation workshop on Reporting Corruption in the Police, using the stopthebribes Platform.
The workshop was organised by the CLEEN Foundation in partnership with the stopthebribes Platform, a forum created by the IG to instil discipline and professionalism in the force.
The IG said many of the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force were currently undergoing punishment for cases of proven corruption and unwholesome conduct.
He, however, did not give details about the officers affected or the type of sanctions apportioned to them. He said the details of the offending policemen had been published in the police gazzette.
Arase, who was represented by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Toye Jolaoye, said not all policemen were corrupt, adding that he was “committed to seeing a transformed, disciplined and professional police force” in the country.
He appealed to members of the public to avail themselves of the use of smart phones and android phones to report any erring police officer or station or command to the stopthebribes Platform for action.
“Mechanisms are in place to ensure confidentiality of information and identity of complainants,” he said.
The Programme Officer, CLEEN Foundation, Gabriel Akinremi, said report on corruption and bad conduct in the police could be sent to the stopthebribes Platform through email, sms, phone calls, Twitter and Facebook
The Police Council presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Mr. Solomon Arase, as the substantive Inspector-General of Police.
Jonathan had earlier appointed Arase in acting capacity when he relieved his predecessor, Suleiman Aba, of his appointment.
The Police Council consists of the President, Vice Presidents, all state governors and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission among others.
