At the inaugural visit of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu has pledged his administration’s ambition to continue to support the Nigeria Police to reduce crime and make Abia the safest State in the country.
The Governor stated this at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia during the inauguration of Abia State Homeland Security Watch and the Abia State Crime Prevention and Management System by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
This was made known in a statement made available by the Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka on Tuesday, Ikpeazu stated that the CPAMS conceptualized by his administration as a way of supporting the IGP in his community policing effort and is capable of providing solutions to policing not only in Abia State but Nigeria as a whole.
He stated that it is a misnomer in the 21st century for the police to record crime on a blackboard, adding that he would like to see when all police divisions in the country can be linked through a digital platform to reduce crime.
The Governor said that he is not satisfied with the level of security in the country.
According to him, proactive policing requires that a crime officer must be ahead of criminals adding that except there is a digital database of criminals which can be used to support CCTV footages, crime will continue.
The Governor stated that with the diligent implementation of CPAMS, it will be difficult for a criminal to be a first offender whereas he has criminal records elsewhere and recommended it to the IGP to help in policing of the country.
Dr Ikpeazu also said that with the system, community participation with the police will become easier and used the forum to announce that his administration will provide solar systems in all Police Divisions in the State as well as provide computers to all police formations and divisions including the office of the Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police.
The Governor had earlier formally presented the IGP with patrol vans procured by his administration for the State Command of the Nigeria Police.
The Governor also handed over patrol vehicles to the Brigade Commander of the Nigeria Army Ohafia to aid in the security of the State.
In his speech earlier, IGP Mohammed Adamu expressed joy that Abia has taken the bull by the horn by creating a structure that will fill the gap in modern-day policing.
He maintained that policing the community is the collective responsibility of all citizens and reminded the members of the Abia Homeland Security Watch that their role was to support and collaborate with the police through intelligence gathering.
The Inspector-General of Police who had earlier paid a courtesy visit to the Governor on arrival later commissioned the Zone 9 headquarters of the Nigeria police built by the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
Responding to the presentation by the Governor of shoes produced at the Enyimba Automated Shoe Factory in Aba, the IGP pledged to make a strong case for a policy shift to encourage the use of locally made shoes by the Nigeria Police.
Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, Secretary to Government, Barrister Chris Ezem, Honorable Commissioner for Homeland Security, Prince Dan Okoli and other members of the State Executive Council were present at the event.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South East, DIG Celestine Okoli, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 9, AIG Tijani, Commissioner of Police, Abia State, CP Janet Agbede, Force PRO, DCP Frank Mba and other senior police officers accompanied the IGP on the visit.
The IGP has since departed for Abuja.
