We Are Monitoring Activities Of State Owned Security Outfits – IGP; Says Ebubeagu In Ebonyi Under Investigation

By Ayodele Oni

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Alkali Usman, has highlighted what can be described as a code of conduct for states owned security outfits.

The IGP declared that activities of Ebubeagu and other state-owned security outfits are being regulated and checked to curb excesses.

He spoke on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while featuring in the 57th session of State House Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team.

He said that the state-owned security outfits have been created to curb crime and criminality as states were told not to use the outfits for political reasons.

“Ebubuagu in Ebonyi, we have on many occasions, checked their high handedness by arresting and investigating those who have actually gone out of their way to commit crime and we have charged them to court.

“If we can charge our personnel for high handedness and other activities, there is nobody who is going to be exempted.

“If there is any specific case that the police have not gone into concerning those outfits, you mention it; but to the best of our knowledge, theory and practice may differ.”

According to Usman, the outfits should avoid being influenced by either primordial loyalty, inducement or other things in discharging their duties.

He warned that officers of the outfits who derail from their legal duties would be prosecuted.

“Some people go out of their way to do the wrong thing and they will be charged.

“And that is why, if these outfits are created by the governors, we are invited to educate them on the extent of their engagement in crime prevention and control.

“We are checking them; they are also good, bad and ugly; they have their good sides. That is why they needed to be checkmated and we doing that.”

The IG pointed out that the scope of crime prevention was wide; hence everybody was being encouraged to join in community policing.

As preparations for next year’s election are in top gear,  the police boss also advised politicians to shun violence and abide by extant rules and agreements on peaceful conduct of campaigns.

Usman said: “The issue of violence in our politics; it takes two to tango; there are laid down procedures to do rallies and campaigns.

“On our part, we have gone out to appeal to politicians to play the game by the rules; and at the same time, allow us to regulate political campaigns, processions and rallies to avoid clashes and so forth.

“The three things which Civil Society Organisations, (Chaos) have spoken about—involvement of security outfits; I think I have even made announcements and pronouncements even before their letter.

“On the day the peace accord was signed by the political parties, I reiterated and observed that we have not less than 64 security outfits that were created by state governors in different names for different purposes.’’