‘Stop taking ‘returns’ from junior officers’

A security expert in Lagos State, Mr. Folorunsho Atta urged senior police officers, to desist from taking ‘returns’ from their junior, so that the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Police Force will not be truncated.

According to Atta, collecting monetary or gift returns from junior police officers, was not ungodly, but encourages corruption and indiscipline in the force.

He condemned a situation whereby two corporals took bribe from suspects arrested for fraud and used part of the loot to build houses for two Assistant Commissioners of Police in Lagos.

Atta argued that for the present ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Police Force to continue, the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Sir Mike M. Okiro will need another reformist like the present Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar as IGP.

Atta said that Okiro as former Inspector-General of Police showed that he had what it takes to meet the structural changes the force needed for service delivery.
Atta said: “Okiro, by his pedigree is not only a reformist, a workaholic, fine gentle officer and God-fearing man; he is a man who listens to everyone! He took Professional advice from stakeholders on security matters while he was in service.

“In the area of Fighting corruption, Okiro and the immediate Past Lagos State Commissioner, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu Alkali had no rivals amongst their contemporary in the force. These two men to the best of my knowledge were police chiefs during their service days who never allowed their subordinates to induce them with money. Okiro and Alkali were contented with what they had, unlike some past police chiefs who stooped low that two police corporals built two houses in choice areas of Lagos State for them. These corrupt officers were the ranks of Assistant Commissioners of Police. The corporals who got their wealth from 419ners later resigned from the force soon as they completed their hotels projects at Idimu and Iju-Fagba, all outskirts of Lagos."

According to Atta, if a shrewd, disciplined and intelligent Assistant Inspector-general of Police, (AIG) is given the opportunity to be the IGP, there would be drastic changes in the police force.

Atta added: “With regards to the Police reforms, the reforms, within one year, will come to reality if the new team works together in harmony. The harmony should be between the IGP and Okiro. The harmony will lead to complete overhauling of the police force structure for efficiency and competency.

“If the Nigeria Police is gifted with 100 officers like Okiro and Alkali in the past 20 years, the so called reforms will come to be.”