You started off tackling the Boko Haram riots, why is the police not proactive?
It is not that we do not want to be proactive. The trends in policing keep changing depending on realities and dynamics of society. The society is changing. Intelligence led policing, is the use of intelligence to preempt criminal activities. It is the type of policing that I would want to see in Nigeria. We have proactive measures, but the Nigerian environment is not so healthy for that type of policing. Let us take the Boko Haram riot as an example. We had information on Mohammed Yusuf and his group, we acted, we did the best we could. I was DIG when he was arrested in Bauchi and charged to court in Jos about two years ago. The court released him. What was the police supposed to do? Policing in democracy is different. The court talks about respect the freedom of the individuals. When we are proactive, people misinterpret it. They go to court to enforce their rights. The court released Mohammed Yusuf saying he had a right to freedom of worship. We operate within the limits the law giv
Related Questions
- What will you say about the recent violence involving the Boko Haram sect that engulfed some parts of Northern Nigeria and left in its wake hundreds dead?
- What are the challenges the police face in combating terror, curbing crime and tackling political interference?
- How did the Citizen Police Academy get started?
