The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Mr Garba Umar, has warned officers serving with the Police Command in the state to steer clear of extortion and illegal collection of tolls.
Umar gave the warning on Tuesday at a Town Hall Meeting with the Ogilisi Foundation held at Rojenny Games Village and Tourists Centre, Oba, Idemili South of Anambra.
He said the Nigerian Police Force still maintained its zero tolerance for corruption and encouraged members of the public to provide useful information on unethical behaviour of officers.
“I cannot imagine that a DPO will, after all his years in service, mess himself up because of certain things. I have a reputation to protect and the policy is zero tolerance for corruption.
“Illegality is a crime and the collection of tolls that don’t get to the government is a crime.
“The Nigerian Police is the only institution that deals with individuals or groups of individuals that err.
“Corruption is against the rule; extortion earns you an outright dismissal and we are doing that every day,” he said.
Umar, therefore, solicited the cooperation and partnership of Ogilisi Foundation, a grassroots socio-cultural group, in crime fighting and prevention through intelligence gathering and information sharing.
He acknowledged the disturbing cases of crime in and around Onitsha, especially within the Okpoko area.
He, however, urged the people to freely give information to the police, while assuring the confidentiality of such information.
“Some of the recent raids in the state where prime suspects were arrested were made possible because of useful information from the public.
“We have been hearing this story that if you give police information, they will expose you, but that was in the past.
“For God’s sake, we are in an information age.
“I have received a number of information that had led to successful operations, without anybody knowing the person who gave the information.
“That is why we give out the numbers of senior officers if you think the junior ones will betray you.
“But I can assure you that any information you give will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” he said.
A stakeholder, Mr Okey Udechi, called for greater presence of security agencies in the riverine areas because of their attendant high level of crime.
Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, assured the police that the foundation would continue to play its noble role in the security of the state.
Ezeonwuka urged anyone having difficulty in divulging information to the police to go through the foundation, explaining that keeping such information away from the police would spell doom for the state. (NAN)
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