The state of insecurity in the country yesterday pitched the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, and the Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Yakubu Ibrahim Lame, in a war of words.

But the cause of the summon of the two men by the Senate has been disproved by Onovo who said the Ore robbery photo being circulated on the internet did not paint the correct picture of what happened.

The Senate had on Wednesday summoned all those charged with security including the Police Affairs Minister and the IG to appear before it and explain why the state of insecurity in the country had reached such a  frightening level.

The Senate summons followed a motion by Senator Ayogu Eze and 58 others over the audacious robbery on Benin-Ore Road in which several people were allegedly killed.

Throwing light on the robbery, which reportedly occurred on February 25, 2010, during which the driver of the luxury bus was at gun point allegedly ordered by the armed robbers to run over passengers who did not have money on them, the IG debunked the story, saying the incident actually took place on July 31, 2009.

“On the 31st of July, 2009, a luxury bus belonging to Young Shall Grow Transport Company left Enugu for Lagos. On the way, the bus developed a fault, which was temporarily corrected. As it started moving again, this time around, on a slow pace, some suspected armed robbers attacked the vehicle and ordered all the 41 passengers in the bus to alight. They were ordered to sit down right on the road. While the operation was going on, a heavy duty vehicle, on a high speed, which had lost control, ran over the people. Six females and 13 males lost their lives in the process, while the two drivers of the vehicles were arrested and taken to Shagamu Police Station, where the incident occurred. We are all human beings and you don’t expect me to be happy seeing this ugly incident happening to anybody. There is no crime free society. What we are asking for now is adequate logistics and of course fighting crime from the root,” Onovo said.

Lame had, at yesterday's briefing, rebuked the police and asked the force to step up its crime-fighting strategy or risk having its leadership sanctioned.
But Onovo, who attended Lame’s briefing, disagreed with the minister’s evaluation of police crime-fighting ability, noting that the times do not call for blames and finger-pointing.

The Minister said he could not see reasons for the rising spate of armed robberies and other crimes in the country, despite government’s efforts to ensure that an average policeman goes home at the end of the month with over 200% increment in salary and the provision of necessary logistics.

But Onovo countered, saying the police had being doing its best despite the fact that necessary logistics were lacking.
“It is apparent that since the coming on board of this administration, government has demonstrated in no small measure genuine concern for the needs of the Nigeria Police. Aside the Reform Agenda, the government in 2008 effected a substantial increase in the salaries and emoluments of personnel of the Nigeria Police, such that a Constable who before then was paid N7000 per month now receives about N21,000 per month.

"Furthermore, the government has consistently increased the capital budget of the Nigeria Police Force. In 2009, the Nigeria Police Force had about N20 billion which is expected to increase to above N30 billion in 2010,” Lame said.

He said: “Regrettably, the Nigeria Police Force has not reciprocated the gesture of government by way of commitment to duty and responsibility to this calling. The current rate of crime across the nation, rising cases of extra-judicial killings, human rights violations, robberies, high profile assassinations and deliberate failure of wilful defiance of Police High Command to these recommendations and assignments at hand. The current situation in the country to say the least is condemnable and unacceptable to the government and the good citizens of our great nation."

In defence of the police, Onovo said the force has been operating under unhealthy environment, characterised by proliferation of firearms, high rate of unemployment, unnecessary display of affluence by some people, and other vices capable of frustrating the efforts of the police.

“This is not the time to trade blame. I know very well that the Nigeria Police under my leadership, within the seven months of operation, has done its best. We are working under a tight situation, where there is not enough logistics to work with. I would rather we concentrate on the source of rising crime in the country rather than pointing accusing fingers at the police. I think this problem should be tackled from economic, political, religious, and of course social aspect of it.

“We have withdrawn all the unauthorised police orderlies and ensured that only those who are entitled to it are the ones getting it right now. I want to appeal to members of the public to exercise patience with us, as we will try more and more to ensure that Nigerians sleep with their two eyes closed,” he said.

However, the Minister urged the Police to review its strategies as, according to him, no responsible government would fold its arms and watch helplessly as its citizens are maimed or cut down in their prime when there is a police force in place.

“Nigeria Police should improve on its investigating skills. Government expects result on the high profile crimes committed in the land as demonstration of a functional police force. The Police high command should therefore rise up to the challenge, failing which government would be left with no option than to find appropriate solution it deems fit. I will therefore, like to see practical work plan indicating programmes and projects with implementation time-lines effective from 2010 to the end of the Reform Programme in 2015.

The action plan should address the identified critical needs of the Nigeria police force in the areas of capacity building and training, logistics and equipment with emphasis on safe city programmes, effective communication and intelligence-led policing, community policing, welfare matters of the Force and the image of the Nigeria Police. Measurable targets should be provided in the Action Plan to facilitate the evaluation and appraisal of progress. This action plan should be submitted within two weeks to government,” he said.

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