No Room For Rascals In Police —Manko

Manko

Umar Manko, Lagos State Commissioner of Police.

Rascals and trigger-happy policemen have no business in the Police Force and would be sacked if caught in the act, Umar Manko, the Lagos Police Chief, said on Monday as he assessed his first year in the state.

“The Police Force today has no room for rascals. If you commit (any) offence, you face the law. Police today is undergoing transformation under the Inspector General of Police. You have to key into the transformation agenda or you get kicked out,” Manko said.

The 55-year old police boss from Bida in Niger State, northern Nigeria, said Lagos with a workforce of 38,000 personnel, 19 Police Divisions and 13 Area Commands, already has a horde of challenges to grapple with. They should not be exacerbated by erring policemen, he said.

“Those who felt we have been in Lagos and it’s going to be business as usual have themselves to blame. Policemen must conform with rules and regulations guiding the profession,” Manko said.

He said policemen who committed identified offences have been sanctioned or are under investigation, including the one who killed a boy in Ketu area of the state recently.

Manko said at least 20 policemen are being detained and investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID.

The police boss said since he came into office crime has drastically reduced in Lagos with no major bank robbery recorded.

He rejected allegations that robbery attacks are on the increase in most parts of Lagos, saying the statistics prove otherwise.

He said major breakthroughs have also been recorded since he came into office, including the arrest of those who murdered Cynthia Osokogu, the kidnappers of Kehinde Bamigbetan and others.

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He rejected accusation that suspects are being paraded and then shot dead by policemen, saying Lagos State Police Command with its Human Rights courses and awareness does not kill suspects who are captured alive.

“We do not engage in extra judicial killings. Those who die are killed during gun battle with police,” Manko said.

The police boss called on Lagosians to volunteer information to the police and partner with cops to fight crime in the state.

“Nigerians should start having the courage and the culture of reporting criminals,” he said.

He thanked the people in Alimosho Local Government in Lagos who have nominated him as their man of the year, saying he is happy people are recognising the efforts of the police.

“We will continue to do our best so that people will continue to see what can come out of the police force,” Manko said.

Asked to nominate his best Area Commander and Divisional Police Officer of the year, Manko said:

“I will nominate the Area Commander of Ogba and the DPO Lions Building.”

—Simon Ateba & Cyriacus Izekwe

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