Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has charged the Police in the State not to relent in the effort to make the State peaceful and comfortable for law-abiding citizens, not criminals.
Charging the Police to make Rivers too hot for criminals, the governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to sustain the support to all security agencies in the State to ensure the security of life and property of all.
Governor Fubara gave the charge during a courtesy visit to him by the new Police Commissioner to the State, Nwoyi Polycarp Emeka, at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Friday.
He identified the importance of the Nigerian Police in the fight against crime and criminality, which will require regular logistics support from the government and vital information elicited from members of the public.
“Let your familiarity with Rivers State security terrain be an advantage to combat crime and criminalities in the State effectively, and I urge you to deploy your wealth of experience in fighting crime and insecurities in the State,” the governor noted.
He told the new Commissioner of Police to be firm and resolute in tackling all forms of crime in the State, as well as give listening ear to every complaint without bias or favour to address security issues holistically.
Gov. Fubara particularly frowned at the activities of some police officers operating in the guise of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the State when such a unit of the Police was disbanded a long time ago.
He urged the new police commissioner to look into those operations and ensure that it ceases to function in the State so that members of the public do not continue to suffer harassment from them.
“The importance of security is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders, and so we urge you to get to the bottom of complaints from citizens in consideration of security matters, as the people are always directly affected during security breaches, ” he emphasised.
He also directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Zacheous Adango and other relevant government agencies to create a strong synergy with the Police and other security agencies in terms of institutional relationships in handling security issues.
Speaking earlier, the new Rivers State Police Commissioner, Nwoyi Polycarp Emeka, said under his watch, accurate information and intelligence would be deployed in fighting crime and criminality in the State.
He informed that in the last two weeks, the fight against criminal elements has been formidable with appreciable results.
Emeka assured that with more support from the government and members of various communities, more milestones would be achieved in making the State safer for all residents.
“My primary duty here is to tackle crime and criminality effectively. To achieve this, all hands must be on deck as we seek the help of the Government of Rivers State and the good-spirited people of the State to achieve this.”
He said, “Information and intelligence gathering is key in fighting crime, and it will be deployed fully as we synergise with Government and sister agencies for robust policing.”
