•MOPOL
The police will intensify its role in curbing kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities with the revival of its somewhat moribund Police Mobile Force (PMF), otherwise known as MOPOL.
“The fighting arm of the police is back,” the Inspector-General said at the weekend.
Tunji Disu, who toured police barracks in Lagos, spoke exclusively with our correspondent after his assignment, reports The Nation.
He highlighted the effect on the country of armed groups exploiting porous borders to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
To address banditry, kidnapping and other security threats, the IGP said mobile policemen, particularly those in the Northeast, have returned to training after years of neglect that left the unit ill-equipped to perform its core mandate.
He described MOPOL as the fighting arm of the police, saying it was trained specifically to handle insurgency but had, for years, failed to perform the role because officers lacked training, equipment and exposure to counter-insurgency tactics.
In the past, MOPOL was a specially trained, well-equipped, mobile and effective squad of the police.
Its deployment on any assignment brought about sanity and success.
A former IGP, Tafa Balogun, appointed in 2002 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was an officer of the Police Mobile Force. As IG, he regularly wore the PMF uniform.
Disu said the low morale of MOPOL over the years had visibly improved because of his new approach to bringing back the squad’s old glory.
He expressed confidence that they would effectively play their expected role in the insurgency battle.
He said experienced retired MOPOL personnel were returning to training camps voluntarily to support the trainers and pass on their experience to younger officers.
“It shows that even in retirement, they still love the job and love Nigeria,” he said, adding that the gesture had given him joy.
Expressing confidence in the ability of the PMF to rout banditry and insurgency, Disu said they were trained to take on the more demanding, high-risk assignments.
The IGP said banditry and insurgency were not peculiar to Nigeria, stressing that they were wider regional challenges.
He also said Nigeria’s relative wealth was making it an attractive target for armed groups exploiting porous borders.
Disu said many West African cities had fallen to insurgents and bandits, noting that sustained military and police operations had helped Nigeria to hold its ground, though at a huge cost.
Disu lamented that many police officers and other security operatives had died this year in the course of protecting the country’s territorial integrity, urging the public to see uniformed and plainclothes officers on the streets as people actively working and dying to protect their lives and property.
Noting the call by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, for Nigeria to fence its borders, he said the measure, along with aerial surveillance and other technology-driven monitoring, would strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The Nigerian military is virtually overstretched with internal security duties.
The troops are in more than 30 states fighting insurgency and banditry.
An effective MOPOL will greatly complement these efforts.
Central crime database, community policing, enforcement
Disu also spoke on the importance of a centralised biometric and criminal database among security agencies.
He said the police were already populating one following an upgrade of data-capturing devices, with directives issued to divisional police units nationwide.
Disu said the database, which would be shared with other security agencies, could also serve employers seeking to screen prospective employees.
On the continued sale of pre-registered SIM cards, often exploited by kidnappers, Disu said the force was collaborating with telecommunications service providers on intelligence sharing and enforcement.
He described the cooperation as part of a broader community policing philosophy, urging Nigerians to see intelligence-sharing as a civic duty rather than something that does not concern them.
“The life you save today may be your own. In modern policing, we say the community is the police, and the police are the community. We are all in the business of protecting lives and property,” Disu added.
Welfare remains priority for other ranks
Addressing the welfare concerns that have earned him the nickname “The Welfare IG”, Disu alluded to his rise through the ranks, from Assistant Superintendent of Police, in explaining his understanding of the challenges facing officers.
He recalled his posting as a Divisional Police Officer, who took over a division with an empty sitting room, adding that he had to personally buy plastic chairs, a table and a mattress.
Disu also recalled using his personal computer as a television before the office was properly furnished.
“If I was not comfortable as a DPO, imagine what officers of other ranks go through,” he said.
Disu said plans were underway to build barracks, provide affordable housing options for officers and engage the government on pension and salary reviews.
He disclosed that a long-awaited review of the police salary structure had been completed, adding that it was awaiting presidential approval.
Disu said efforts were underway to supply uniforms and other essential kits to officers.
Zero tolerance for impunity, on both sides
The IGP said his administration had tackled indiscipline in the force, insisting that Nigerians could not expect a free pass to break the law.
He disclosed that erring officers had been arrested and appropriate action taken, adding that such cases were made public to reassure citizens that impunity within the ranks would not be tolerated.
The IGP singled out the Complaint Response Unit (CRU), the Police’s public complaints desk, noting that it had handled numerous cases of officer misconduct reported by members of the public.
He warned that Nigerians who flout the law, including those who drive against traffic or commit other offences, would not have their infractions swept under the carpet.
‘Jungle justice is murder’
Disu described jungle justice and mob violence as murder since victims were denied the right to trial.
He warned that anyone arrested in connection with killings, including those who incite or record such incidents without intervening, would be charged with murder.
The IGP appealed to Nigerians to report crimes to the police and other security agencies for proper investigation, assuring that he was committed to restoring public trust.
Disu, who urged parents to counsel their children against involvement in thuggery, said Nigerians should allow the electoral process to run its course.
He said the police had demonstrated professionalism in past elections, assuring that the standard would be sustained.
‘A police force Nigerians can call their own’
Disu said his ambition was to see Nigerians embracing the police as truly their own, in tandem with the ultimate goal of the reforms he had championed in his first six months in office.
