Why police failed during Offa robbery, says new Kwara CP
The new Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Aminu Pai Saleh, yesterday blamed failure of intelligence gathering as leading cause of the last bloody robbery incident in Offa town, Offa Council.
Saleh, at the maiden press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Ilorin, said such information gathering technique was completely lacking in the system, leading to the loss of nine police officers and over 10 civilians.
The new Police boss, while appealing for a synergy between the Police and members of the public, disclosed that more Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) would soon be in operations to prevent a recurrence of the carnage anywhere in the state.
He said: “We had intelligence gathering breakdown before the robbery, there is no doubt about that. We had little information about the coming of the robbers.
“Besides, as at that time, our capacities to respond to the situation were very low, but we are already addressing that now. Very soon, you will see the much-needed changes in our mode of operations.”
While thanking the state government for its proactive measures since the incident, Saleh said a more rejuvenated Police system should be expected in Kwara “if all the major stakeholders and the public would support the Police.”
Already, he said the state government had sponsored the repairs of damaged APCs in the state to complement the newly procured one presently stationed at Offa.
“We met two moribund APCs in Kwara, but the state government has been doing a yeoman’s job on them and within the next few weeks, we will get more in operations.”
On the suspects arrested in connection with the Offa robbery, Saleh promised that the public would soon be briefed on the development “by the appropriate authorities, adding: “We are repositioning our strategies, including personnel reorganisation and widening our reach.
“Officers have been moved from one point to the other. We have more Police presence in every nooks and cranny of the state. Patrols by officers within the state and within the towns have been intensified on 24 hourly basis.
“Besides, consultations have begun with relevant stakeholders in the state in a bid to strengthen our capacity to discharge our responsibilities effectively.”
He expressed condolences with the families of those who lost their lives during the operation, especially the officers, just as he disclosed that relevant Police authorities had commenced arrangements to promptly pay them their allowances.
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