The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for Zone 13, Mr. Abayomi Oladipo, has issued a stern warning to police personnel under his jurisdiction, cautioning them against engaging in unprofessional conduct or colluding with criminals.
During a one-day official working visit to Enugu on Wednesday, Oladipo addressed senior officers of the Enugu State Police Command.
Zone 13 of the Nigeria Police Force comprises Enugu and Anambra States.
The AIG emphasized the importance of professionalism in conduct and appearance, warning against the unauthorized use of face masks as part of the police uniform.
“Wearing face mask under any guise is never part of police uniform,” he said.
“On no account should a superior or supervising officer allow anyone under them to dress in an unauthorised way.”
He also urged officers to maintain safety standards during operations, especially while conducting stop-and-search duties.
“Ensure proper dismantling of materials placed on the road while on stop-and-search duty,” he advised.
“Leaving them could cause accidents at night or criminals taking over such spots pretending to be police personnel.”
Oladipo reminded officers to remain vigilant and take their safety seriously, stressing the responsibility they have to the public and their families.
“You must be alert at your duty post and do not loss guard about your surroundings as the possibility of being attacked is there; and your families, loved ones and Nigeria Police Force needed you to be alive,” he said.
The AIG made it clear that corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
“If you are found wanting on issue of corruption, you will surely face the consequences and I have instructed that the appropriate punishment should be applied,” he said.
He further urged officers to make themselves approachable to the public and monitor their subordinates’ conduct to prevent acts that could tarnish the image of the Force.
“Officers must make themselves accessible for compliant by Nigerians and strive to monitor what personnel under them are doing in order to checkmate any personnel that wants to carry out an act to give the police a bad image,” Oladipo stated.
He gave a stern warning to those colluding with criminals:
“Those of you who collude with criminals, yahoo boys, ritualists and others in communities and cover crime, the Nigeria Police Force is monitoring and praying to God that in no distance time you will be exposed and you will be dealt with appropriately.”
Regarding personnel welfare, the AIG reminded officers to ensure their records are properly updated, particularly information regarding next-of-kin.
“All personnel should ensure that their records are duly filled and confirmed,” he advised. “Issues of next-of-kin should be sorted out and clearly spelt out by all personnel.”
Oladipo also commended the leadership of the Enugu State Command for their proactive efforts in keeping the state secure.
“The commissioner and command are on top of the game and they are doing very well. I personally appreciate the challenges you go through in policing the state and ensuring safety of all,” he said.
Earlier in the meeting, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Giwa, highlighted some of the Command’s major challenges, including insufficient manpower and logistics.
He acknowledged ongoing security issues such as farmer-herder conflicts, attacks by separatist groups, and sporadic criminal incidents.
However, he reaffirmed the state’s overall safety.
“However, Enugu State remains the safest state in the South-East and one of the safest states in the country recording excellent human and economic activities flow,” Giwa said.
The commissioner assured the AIG that new strategies, including a focus on rural patrols, were being implemented to combat crime more effectively.
“We are assuring sir, that with deployment of new security strategies, which include the new rural communities patrol of the Command, there will be no hiding place for any criminal and we will continue to reduce crime rate in the state,” he assured.
As part of his visit, AIG Oladipo toured several police formations across the state, including mobile and tactical units, area commands, the Police College in Oji River, and the Police Detective College in Enugu.
