In a move to enhance operational excellence in Imo and the country at large, 500 police personnel on Wednesday began a four-week capacity-building training in Owerri.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Aboki Danjuma, declared the training open at the MOPOL Headquarters 18, at Ogbakwu near Owerri.
Danjuma said the capacity building was at the instance and directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to the continuous training and development of its personnel to ensure optimal service delivery and heightened security in the state.
“You are here for weapons handling, ambush and counter-ambush, stop and search, stripling and assembling of weapons, among other police mobile force trainings.
“Although the rate of crime is going down, the moment you finish, you will be deployed to the forests and other criminal hideouts,” he said.
Danjuma said the command changed its strategy by taking the fight against crime to the criminals in the forests and hideouts.
“We are now carrying the fight to them in the forest. Even though we have dismantled most of their hideouts in the forests, we will still deal with the remnants.
“Also, we are having clearance operations going on in Njaba and Orsu areas of the state where we have recorded huge successes.
“So many of the insurgents have been dismantled, arrested, and weapons seized,” he noted.
Danjuma said peace had returned to the three local government areas under siege by insurgents in the state.
He also said the crippling sit-at-home directive, which had brought economic and social activities to a halt, had finally been lifted, paving the way for normalcy to return to the state.
He charged the officers, selected from every division, area command, and tactical team across the state, to know when to justify the use of their firearms.
“The firearms are not to be used on innocent citizens but to defend the innocent citizens,” he stressed.
The police chief equally urged them to use the knowledge gained from the training in the discharge of their duties, to protect lives and property, and to maintain law and order in the society.
He commended the state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, for supporting the command with logistics for their operations and the training.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the training is “Enhancing Operational Excellence for Effective Threat Response and Community Safety.”. (NAN)
