Addressing the rank and file of the Oyo State Police Command at Eleyele, Ibadan, yesterday, during his one-day working visit to the state, he disclosed that the rebranding would be a holistic one, but would begin with SARS.
Arase was received by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who said the command has adopted community policing as a veritable tool for main­taining law and order in the state in line with the vision of the IGP.
The rebranding, Arase stated, would include train­ing, change of uniform and perception, change of in­vestigative skills and make members of the squad situate their activities within the dic­tate of the rule of law.
Arase, who earlier met with the critical stakeholders in the state such as traditional rulers, chiefs, religious lead­ers, farmers, Fulani herds­men, Bankers’ Forum, trans­porters and so on, warned that he would not hesitate to prosecute any policeman who misuses his firearm, adding that they must re­spect the rights of Nigeri­ans. The firearms, he said, were bought with taxpayers’ money, and so, the firearms should not be used against the taxpayers, adding: “We have been inundated with complaints about misuse of firearms.”
He said he had told all the Commissioners of Police that no officer was immune to the Criminal Law, and any po­liceman that shoots any Ni­gerian, would be prosecuted, adding: “I don’t want to hear that it was an accidental dis­charge or it was an error.”
Arase also read the riot act to the DPOs and Area Commanders against forc­ing subordinate officers to extort money from members of the public, warning that the junior officers are not to engage in any practice out­side the purview of police mandate.