The newly- appointed Acting Inspector – General of Police (IGP ), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu , has expressed disappointment over the present state of the Nigeria Police Force , vowing to reposition it in no time.
Adamu also warned police personnel against engaging in conduct capable of not only ruining the image of the Force but also putting their careers in jeopardy .
He hinted that a mass redeployment of personnel of the police would be affected soonest.
The police boss , who noted that the image of the Force was dwindling unimaginably , said his appointment did not only represent a call to duty but also a charge to restore what he termed as “ the dwindling primacy of the Nigeria Police Force within the internal security architecture of our beloved country .”
He spoke yesterday at the handing and taking over ceremony between him and his predecessor, Ibrahim Idris , at the Force Headquarters in Abuja .
“ With my appointment and assumption of duty, I am determined to draw on my national and international policing leadership experience to bridge this missing link.
“ I assure you on this day that I will provide the highest possible level of professional and responsible leadership for you while trusting that you shall march hand- in – hand with me as dependable professional colleagues to advance the fortunes of the Force, ” he said, among others
However, many people at the occasion were surprised as Deputy Inspectors – General (DIGs ) of Police at the handing and taking over ceremony were in uniform unlike in the past when they all always attend in mufti .
The development , many noted , was an indication that the DIGs may not retire as was the case in the past, but may choose to work with the new IGP .
Meanwhile, police officers , disgruntled over the way former IGP Idris Ibrahim piloted the affairs of the police at the Louis Edet House , Force Headquarters, Abuja , have urged the new helmsman to right the wrongs.
Some of them , who spoke under anonymity, described the former boss as “ a partisan and unethical IGP .”
According to one of them in Lagos : “ Our former boss did not behave like a policeman . He actually displayed high level of partisanship . He went outside the ethics of our profession . Our wish is for the new IGP to correct the impression that members of the public now hold against the police.”
In a similar vein , the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS ) has advised the acting IGP to respect the rule of law, especially as the general elections are fast – approaching .
In a statement by the Senate President, Abdulmajeed Oladimeji Oyeniyi, the students congratulated the newly- appointed IGP and urged him to ensure equity and social justice while discharging his duty.
