Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 14, Idegwu Basil Okuma, has expressed shock at the level of banditry in Katsina State, vowing to make a big difference in reducing the menace.
“I have seen the level of crime in this place and I want to say that I’m shocked. It has equally given me the determination to ensure that within the time that I will be here, whether short or long time, I will make my impact felt.”
AIG Okuma disclosed this while on an official visit to the Katsina State Police Command to familiarise himself with the command’s operations and boost the morale of officers and men.
Describing the situation as “terrifying”, Okuma pledged to complement the Command’s efforts in taming the menace.
During the visit, the new Zone 14 AIG acknowledged the challenges faced by security personnel, including the loss of officers in the line of duty.
He called on all officers to be vigilant and share information to combat the menace effectively.
“We are losing officers. The very week I reported we lost four officers. These are things we face on a daily basis, and it is our duty and we will continue to put in our best to ensure that crime and criminality are brought down to the very minimum.”
On the way out, he emphasised the importance of community policing and intelligence gathering in addressing the crisis. “There’s a need to reach out to these communities to let them know that we are in it with them. Let them know that we are doing all things possible to ensure that the act of banditry is mitigated,” he said.
AIG Okuma further emphasised the need for continuous training and retraining of officers to keep pace with the evolving tactics of criminals.
He commended the Katsina State Commissioner of Police for ongoing training initiatives but urged for more robust capacity building.
“We need to do more. We need to have well-structured training. Trainings that will put these bandits off balance. “What do I mean? Trainings that will put us ahead of them, not behind them.”
Katsina Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Abubakar Musa, welcomed the AIG and briefed him on the command’s operations and achievements since the AIG’s assumption of office on June 2, 2024. These include the arrest of over 100 suspects, the rescue of 107 kidnapped victims, the neutralisation of over five suspected armed bandits, and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, stolen livestock, and other items.
CP Musa attributed the command’s recent success to AIG Okuma’s leadership, noting that under his watch, the command has witnessed a boost in operational capacity and morale.