18 Even SARS policemen should identify themselves properly – CP Bello
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) CP Abubakar Bello, spoke to about fighting crime in the FCT, among other issues. Excerpts:
Daily Trust: How has policing the FCT been like for you and your men so far? Policing the FCT is a very challenging issue, what I want to assure residents of the FCT is that we are going to have brand new policing activities. These days we have community policing, that is why we want members of the public to know that they are very important to us, because we believe that security is everybody’s business. Together we can cooperate and usher in a very safe and secure FCT, you know that these days in the FCT there are so many security challenges, as I came in I heard of that, we have issues like bag snatching at traffic intersections, we have handset snatching, in some cases robberies and others, so we are here and we are determined to tackle such security challenges. I want to seize this opportunity to call on residents of the FCT to trust us, to have confidence in us, so that they can come and confide in us on issues they feel border on their own security. When we talk about criticism, we are all about positive criticism, we believe that there is always room for improvement, so whatever you see about us and about our men out there please feel free to inform us.
DT: How are you addressing the problem of plain clothes policemen carrying automatic rifles?
Yes, that used to happen sometime ago, but it has changed. These days even if you are in SARS you must have a way of identifying yourself as a police officer. I know they have uniforms that have been designed for them. What they wear, what we call body armour, even there, you see POLICE or SARs written. So if you see anybody that is not dressed appropriately, please call our attention to it.
DT: What are your strategies for tackling known black spots within the satellite towns and Abuja metropolis?
When I talked about crime fighting strategies, I mentioned the issue of raids. It’s one of the best strategies of dealing with black spots in town, so we take criminals by surprise, we cordon and search it so that we can also recover exhibits that can be used to prosecute these criminals.
It is very important these days that you not only arrest persons but you must be ready to prove it, we can search areas and carry out raids led by senior officers, we are also going to make use of plain clothe policemen who would go on surveillance in those areas to find out who is who, what kind of crime is being committed and the people behind those crimes. Those are the crime fighting strategies and we will also increase our visibility in those areas so that it will deter those criminals, we must do it periodically with an element of surprise.
DT: What is the protocol for the police engaging protesters and ensuring that clashes and human rights abuses don’t occur?
We are in a democratic dispensation whereby as a human being you are allowed so many rights, freedom of association and freedom of thought and so many things, in an ideal situation you are supposed to let the police know that you intend to carry out a procession. Give us time and date so that we are there to give you the necessary security, we cannot stop you from protesting, but it has to be within the ambit of the law, in the FCT here we have guidelines, if anybody wants to protest , it should be within the limits of the Unity Fountain or that very area. If it is something that has to do with the National Assembly, your leaders can be escorted to the gate and our representatives at the National Assembly would come and receive them and collect their petitions, we are going to do it in an orderly manner.
DT: How do you intend to handle the issue of scavengers and alleged thefts carried out by them?
It is an issue we are going to tackle, we know indeed some of them are criminals, some of them use that as a decoy, they study the environment when people are not there, they get in and steal, yes when we carry out raids definitely they would be handled. I told you earlier on we have the powers to suspect people anywhere and anytime and subject them to search and scrutiny and if we get such people we would subject them to that, if we get some exhibits we would charge them to court.
DT: What policing experience do you bring as FCT commissioner of police?
These days even if you are in SARS you must have a way of identifying yourself as a police officer. I know they have uniforms that have been designed for them
I was appointed into the Nigerian Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of police in 1988, I have spent over 29 years getting to 30 years, and I believe even if it’s just eating food you are bound to have experience. I am a general duty officer, that means you can be in operations, be in administration, you can be in intelligence and investigation and I have been in all these departments. I have attended several command courses, intelligence courses and investigation courses, I have also been on foreign missions. I was in Bosnia; I was on the African Mission in Sudan; I attended courses in Ghana, including seminars and conferences; I am also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.