The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, comprising Lagos and Ogun States, with headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, AIG Adegoke Fayoade, has asserted that all hands must be on deck to ensure Nigeria’s security.
He noted that the task should not be left to the police alone.
The police boss stated this in Lagos, during a goodwill message at the 2024 annual lecture/award ceremony of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), with the lecture topic: ‘Justice System Administration and Insecurity In Nigeria: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions.’
The AIG called for the collaboration of all and sundry in crime fighting and prevention to make the country a safer place to live.
The AIG lamented the reluctance of complainants to follow their cases up to the prosecution level, saying that this adversely affects the justice system.
He noted that such cases are often struck out for lack of evidence when charged to court.
“It is essential that we talk about the justice system as it affects the country. If our justice system is not effective enough, we will not have rapid socio-economic development. The justice system needs the efforts of everyone. It is not just for the justice department alone. It requires the input of everyone. Not the police alone or the justice department alone. Every individual has a role to play. There is a need to collaborate with the police.”
He explained that collaboration could come through giving the police credible information and supporting the police with credible intelligence and logistics to operate effectively.
How do you collaborate?, the AIG asked.
“You collaborate by giving the police credible information. By giving credible intelligence to police for effective operations. Other areas of collaboration are providing us with the necessary logistics to carry out our operations effectively. Members of the public on their own and the other hand should also ensure that when there are court cases, they should ensure a follow-up. When cases are brought to court, most of the complainants are reluctant and at the end of the day, they will say they are no longer interested in court cases.
“Our people should develop the idea of following up their cases in court because if a case is brought to court and there is nobody to follow up, at the end of the day, the matter will be truck off.”
He called on police officers handling cases to weigh in on matters and see, as much as possible, how parties could amicably settle cases that are not too serious.
“I will also want to advise our officers that some of the cases that require to be settled, like landlord and tenant issues brought to us. Officers should take time and resolve such between the parties.
Technologies will also make our justice system better,” AIG Fayoade enthused.
