…to re-sharpen operational activities of the Command.
by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The (new) Commissioner of Police for Plateau State Command, CP Ayodeji Faniyan, on Thursday held his ‘kick-off’ monthly conference with officers of the Command at the Police Officers’ Mess, Jos, as part of his strategic engagement with personnel and his determination to “steer the Command to greater heights.”
The monthly conference brought together Senior Officers, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Heads of Departments, and Tactical Team Commanders across the State.
While addressing the officers, CP Ayodeji Faniyan commended personnel of Plateau State Police Command for their dedication, sacrifices and resilience in maintaining law and order and protecting lives and property across the State.
He acknowledged the challenging security environment within which officers operate, and charged them to remain courageous, disciplined, professional and committed to their constitutional responsibilities.
The new CP emphasised that his administration would be anchored on professionalism, discipline, accountability, intelligence-led Policing, Community Engagement and respect for Human Rights, stressing that every officer must understand that policing is fundamentally a “Service to humanity.”
He charged all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Heads of Departments to adopt a proactive approach to policing, improve supervision and strengthen intelligence-gathering within their respective areas of responsibility, and directed particularly commanders to ensure that emerging security threats are identified early – and decisively addressed – before they escalate into major security incidents.
On the fight against violent crime, CP Ayodeji Faniyan assured the people of Plateau State that the Command would sustain robust operations against kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, banditry, communal violence, violent criminal gangs, illegal possession of firearms and other forms of criminality.
He directed commanders to maintain increased visibility in vulnerable locations, strengthen patrol operations and ensure prompt response to distress calls. He equally emphasised the need for effective policing of rural communities and other areas vulnerable to criminal attacks.
The CP also reiterated the importance of Community Policing and Partnership with the public, noting that sustainable security cannot be achieved by the Police alone.
He, therefore, called for stronger collaboration with traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, youth organisations, civil society groups, sister security agencies and other stakeholders.
According to him, members of the public remain indispensable partners in the fight against crime, particularly through the provision of timely and credible information that can assist security agencies in preventing criminal activities and apprehending offenders.
The Commissioner of Police also placed considerable emphasis on discipline and professional conduct, warning officers against misconduct, corruption, extortion, abuse of power, unlawful detention, unnecessary use of force and other actions capable of undermining public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
He reminded personnel that the powers conferred on Police Officers are exercised on behalf of the Nigerian people and must, therefore, be used responsibly, lawfully and with the highest sense of professionalism.
CP Faniyan directed all commanders to take personal responsibility for the conduct, discipline and operational effectiveness of personnel under their command. He emphasised that leadership must be characterised by proper supervision, accountability, fairness and responsiveness.
While the Police Commissioner equally assured officers that personnel welfare and professional development would remain important components of his administration, he also encouraged officers to remain committed to continuous learning, self-development and the acquisition of modern policing skills necessary to effectively confront contemporary security challenges.
He further called on officers to maintain the highest standards of integrity and dedication, reminding them that their conduct, both on and off duty, contributes significantly to the public perception and credibility of the Nigeria Police Force.