Police have commenced the Visibility Policing Operation across the country following the directive given by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, while meeting with Strategic Police Managers (SPMs), including; Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Commissioners of Police, and the Force Management Team at Force Headquarters in Abuja, Wednesday.
IGP Alkali, at the meeting, also charged the SPMs to take into cognisance crime mapping strategies, massive deployment of operational, intelligence assets and manpower.
The IGP expressed concern over the proliferation of small arms in sub-Saharan Africa which has consequently led to an increase in security threats within the nation, notably the attack on the Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja.
The police chief acknowledged the compliance level of strategic managers in identifying vulnerabilities at custodial facilities in their respective areas and complementing the Correctional Service in upscaling security in and around such facilities to forestall further security breaches.
Commenting on the recently-concluded Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections, the IGP commended the police managers for the exceptional level of professionalism displayed during the election, as he further charged them to draw on the success of enhancing election security management operations during the 2023 general elections.
The IGP noted that plans have been concluded for the commencement of the Election Security Management Workshop organized by the police in conjunction with the Solar Security and Consult Company Limited.
The workshop titled; ‘Train-the-trainers,’ is designed to broaden the knowledge and operational competence of strategic officers and will hold across the six geo-political zones of the country in August.
Attendees will include about 400 police officers, and personnel from the Military, Department of State Services, and other security agencies who complement the police in election security management.
The IGP, however, emphasized the importance of the protection of fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.