Mr John Haruna, the outgoing Commissioner of Police in Benue, has warned police officers in the state against indiscriminate allocation of arms to policemen.?
He gave the warning on Thursday when he visited the Police Area Command in Otukpo.???
Haruna enjoined the officers to always scrutinise their subordinates before giving them arms.??
He stressed that some police officers were not fit enough to handle arms because their conduct indicated some mental instability.?
He noted that such officers were the ones who unleashed terror on the people without thinking of the repercussions of their action.?
Haruna also warned policemen and officers against allowing criminals to disarm them, stressing that they should always display gallantry even when confronted by criminals.?
He noted that if criminals got hold of the powerful arms in the officers’ possession, they would commit more atrocities.?
He disclosed that arrangements were underway to allow Commissioners of Police to unilaterally promote deserving officers and men within their commands.?
Haruna, nonetheless, bemoaned the breakdown of discipline within the police force, saying that it was a bad omen.?
He stressed the need to restore discipline in the force, urging officers and men to accord due respect to their superior officers at all times.?
He also advised policemen and officers to be courteous while dealing with the public, stressing that they were employed to serve the citizens diligently and not to molest them.?
Speaking earlier, Mr Samuel Dra-Koji, the Area Police Commander in Otukpo, thanked Haruna for encouraging police officers and men in the area to fight crime.?
He, however, solicited more logistic support to enable them to “comb the area very well in order to fish out criminals”.
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