Commissioner of Police Haruna John, in-charge of Benue State Police Command, was with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for over four years before he was posted to the Force Headquarters as a Commissioner of Police in-charge of Federal Operations on July 11, 2011. He was, however, redeployed once again to Benue in December, 2011, in recognition of his wealth of experience and capacity to meet the challenges of securing lives and property in the state. In this write up, Best Onche, examines the security situation in the state and efforts of the new police boss to curb crime.
Mr. Haruna John, assumed office in December 2012, with the promise that crime would be reduced to the barest minimum. He held several interactive sessions with officers and men of the command, journalists and other stakeholder on the challenges of securing the state as well as plans put in place to ensure the protection of lives and property.
Top on this, the police boss insist is the issue of illegal manufacturing of arms and ammunition in the state, even as he assured the people that officers and men of the command under his leadership were working towards curbing illegal arm manufacturing and influx in the state.
According to him, “We are not resting on our oars. When we see robbers or anybody for that matter, with such arms, we follow the issue up until we get to the roots.
“It is a development we must stop because there is proliferation of arms. We ask that those with illegal arms should surrender them willingly, if they fail to do so, they should be assured that we shall get at them.”
He explained that the command had paraded some of the illegal manufacturers, who are ‘highly gifted,’ adding that, “We are going to suggest to the authorities that the talent of some of them be exploited for the benefit of the police weapons manufacturing industry.
“I believe they can be used by the state and security agencies instead of sending them to the prison.”
CP John noted that some of the arms recovered from the criminals who had been arrested by officers and men of the command may have been taken from some of “our men that were killed in the course of their job”.
He disclosed that since his assumption to office as Commissioner of Police in Benue State in December that over 500 persons had been arrested in connection with various crimes not just crime manufacturing and running.
The police boss further explained that, “We paraded some of them for journalists to see. Some have been charged to court while others are in the process of being charged to court pending the conclusion of investigation.
“Arms and ammunition, charms and gas cylinders among other items were recovered from the suspects in their hideouts in various parts of the state.
We have recorded some degree of success because interactive sessions are conducted at community and traditional council levels.
“It is from the people that we get information. I want to tell you that some of my officers and men have been gallant in facing and challenging criminals on the road, where they have gone to rob and in their hideouts too.”
He further disclosed, “We went into partnership with communities that was how we were able to identify criminals and their hideouts. We have recorded low crime rate in the past two weeks. I urge the people to partner with us.
Officers who have gallantly and selflessly distinguished themselves, the CP said, have been recommended to higher authorities for special promotion and commendation, ‘but at my level, special commendation would also be given to them along with monetary rewards.”
He expressed appreciation that even suspects declared wanted were pursued and arrested by the officers and men of the command notwithstanding the enormous challenges and constraints they were faced with.
This is more so as they command has not lost anybody even as they engaged some of the miscreants in exchange of gun fire in a bid to arrest them, however, six of the suspects were killed when they along with their gang members opened fire on the police team while resisting arrest .
Commendation of the officers who have distinguished themselves, John said, would be their reward so as to encourage selflessness and commitment to service.
According to him, “If we can punish those who err, then, we should be able to reward gallant officers and men.”
On the issue of Boko Haram which has caused the death of scores of hundreds of people in many states of the North, Mr. John decried the fact that the modus operandi of the group leaves little opportunity for security agencies to identify them.?
He urged all youths and community leaders in the state to keep their eyes open as police and other security agencies alone cannot check terrorism, adding that any person who sacrifices his life to take the lives of others must have gone to a great level of indoctrination and it is almost impossible to stop such persons.
The police boss, therefore, appealed to residents of the state to alert the police and other security agencies on the identify persons of questionable character in their neigbourhood.
While commending the government of Benue State on its support to the Police Command, he said that conduct of officers and men of the command had improved under his administration and would continue to improve with time.