We’re deploying drones, other technologies to tackle insecurity – IGP Baba
By Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R: Governor, Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel; Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Andrew Amiengheme and the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba during the Commissioning of the Special Protection Unit base in Onna local government area of the state.
Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba has said the Nigeria Police Force is deploying technology in virtually all areas of its operations in tackling new waves of banditry and kidnapping across the country.
Baba said “the Marine unit has been reactivated, crime section digitalised, drones have been acquired while the Technical Intelligent Unit is fully functional to cope with new trends in crime and criminality.”
The police boss spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, while addressing officers and men of the state command, Ikot Akpana-Abia, Uyo Wednesday during the commissioning of the Special Protection Unit base in Onna local government area of the state.
He said the Nigeria Police must work with time and modernity to contain the ever dynamic crime waves, adding that training and retraining had been the cardinal point of the present administration.
Baba said: “Crime and criminality is a dynamic thing; it is not something that is static. It moves with time, it moves with modernisation, it moves with technology. Nobody has ever told us that human beings can be stolen; now we see human beings being stolen and taken away and they’re asking you to bring money. That is new crime which is called kidnapping. We know of armed robbery and now we started hearing of armed banditry.
“So, we must work with time modernity and therefore one of our cardinal principles in the job now is to train and retrain ourselves. So, training is the cardinal point of our administration. We just started training our 10,000 recruits effective last Monday and we have been able to change the curriculum to reflect modernism.
“Since we came we have gotten a lot, we have just been given 200 brand of Pick Up vehicles that are very strong by the Police Trust Fund. We have made our Air wings very effective, we are proud of putting six helicopters on the air at one time.
“Our Marine segment has been reactivated; our Technical Intelligent Unit is working. We have acquired drones, we have digitalised our crime section, we have involved a lot of technology in our works,” the IGP said.
He encouraged police officers to constantly educate themselves by reading and listening to news on in order to acquaint themselves with latest happenings in the society.
The IGP, however, lamented that before the launch of Operation Restore Peace to the South-East, the secessionists had demoralised the workforce with unprovoked attacks and killings, adding that the force is working tirelessly to equip itself with tools to aid operations.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme, lauded the IGP for his result-oriented policies which are in line with global best practices.
He said though there had been unprovoked attacks since he assumed office as the 30th CP, the measures he initiated by re-jigging the security apparatuses of the state has started yielding fruits.
Amiengheme commended the collaboration between the Nigeria Police and the support of the state government in fighting crime and prevention in the state.
“Since we assumed office, we have been able to re-jig the security apparatuses of the state and that is yielding results in the state. Some of our men are still in the affected areas” the CP said.
