Heads to roll over SARS attack – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, has said that any officer found wanting in the November 26 attack on the Federal Capital Territory Police Command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters will be punished.
He made this disclosure during an official visit to the command yesterday.
Abubakar, who said that investigation into the attack by some unknown gunmen was on-going, assured that the police force will take all necessary actions to bring the perpetrators wherever they are to book.
“We are not resting on the issue of the attack on SARS headquarters,” he said. “We are still investigating and once we conclude, we will take the necessary actions. But I can tell you, heads will roll in SARS.”
He said the present police management would treat the issue of security within and outside the force seriously.
On his visit to the FCT command, Abubakar said he wanted to personally assess the preparedness of the command to ensure safety of lives and property in the territory.
He said the welfare of policemen would be regularly reviewed to enable them to focus on the duties of securing the society.
The police boss, however, warned that the police authority would punish erring officers and men, especially as it concerns their duties of protecting lives and property.
He reiterated that the police force would not encourage corruption, noting that anyone found wanting would be dismissed.
Abubakar urged them to embrace positive attitude to duty, pointing out that this was the surest way that the police could win back the confidence of the public, just as he urged officers, especially the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), to be open and courteous in dealing with the public.
He said, “Police station is a public place, you must allow people to see you, you must be able to see people, you are there to help the public and you cannot do so if you are difficult to access.
“I appeal to all of us to try and imbibe this change that we are all talking about in this country, this change must take place in the police force.”
Abubakar also stressed the need for synergy among the security agencies in the country, pointing out that the collaboration would help in dealing with emerging societal challenges.
He urged all police formations to cooperate with other agencies of the government to arrest the menace of robbery, kidnapping and insurgency in parts of the country.
According to him, the police alone cannot fight all manners of crime in the society, stressing that the police was not trained to do everything.
He assured the FCT command that training in the force would receive a boost in 2013 and revealed that more officers would be trained in specialised fields to enhance their capacity to combat criminality.