We’ve taken steps to check insecurity on highways – I-G

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, says the force has taken steps to check insecurity on highways, particularly Abuja-Kaduna Highway.

Egbetokun disclosed this during his first official to Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday where he inaugurated some projects, including Complainants Response Unit (CRU).

“Since I came into office, we have taken steps to do a number of things to ensure crime is reduced to the barest minimum and security restored to troubled areas.

“On the Abuja-Kaduna Road you are talking about, we have taken necessary steps to rid it of criminal elements that were terrorising motorists.

“Very soon, you are going to be seeing results. We are embarking on establishment of a Special Intervention Squad (SIS). We have started mobilisation to make success of it,” he said.

Egbetokun said the SIS would soon become operational in the states that had been chosen as pilot areas.

On police welfare, he said he had President Bola Tinubu’s assurance that efforts were underway to improve the welfare of police officers and men.

On when the police would have a vibrant forensic department to detect criminals, Egbetokun said: “We are going to take these things one after the other.

“Today, we have launched the CRU aimed at promoting transparency in the police.

“We want to build confidence in the members of the public. We want to enhance police/community collaboration, and the CRU is needed to achieve all of these.

“At least, now, members of the public who have complaints against the police have a place to lodge their complaints.”

Egbetokun assured Nigerians that the force would make the CRU functional in all the states of the federation.

“Lagos State has started. We just inaugurated that one today. We inspected the facilities and they are excellent.

“Officers that would be deployed to man the CRU will be carefully selected – officers with impeccable integrity.

“They will be well motivated, with opportunities for training overseas, if necessary,” he said.

At the event, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) warned the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force against torture and illegal detention of suspects.

Falana said that under the Police Act, 2020, the officers and men would be held responsible and prosecuted for illegal detention.

Falana, however, assured the officers and men of free legal services should they have need of it.

He promised to build CRU in four states.

A former President of the Nigeria Bar Association and one of those that built the CRU in Lagos, Mr Olumide Akpata, promised to do same in Edo and Delta states.

He expressed optimism that the unit would enhance better relationship between the police and the public.