CRIME HAS BECOME SCIENTIFIC, OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES VAST, A CHALLENGE WE MUST OVERCOME – ARASE
The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, retired Inspector General of Police, has said the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force are going through a challenging period of its existence, stressing that crime across the world has become so scientific and requires that those that will fight it (Police) must be scientific in its approach.
According to the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, in a statement, Dr. Arase noted that oversight responsibilities have become so vast and challenging that the Commission must be properly equipped and trained to succeed in its assignment.
He was speaking when he received in the audience a delegation from the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission in Jabi, Abuja. The delegation was led by Dr. Iliaysu Buba Gashinbaki, the Institute’s Pioneer President and Chairman Governing Council.
The PSC Chairman mentioned cyber-bullying, criminal financial/banking attacks, and other complex crimes threatening various sectors of the nation’s fledgling democracy.
He noted that both the Police and the Commission would need to quickly step up in order to contain these emerging challenges adding that these two government Agencies should also be properly equipped and trained to carry out successfully its constitutional mandates.
Dr. Arase insisted that Policing should be more visible at the local level, especially at the Divisional centres which he regretted having been abandoned creating a lot of ungoverned spaces where non-state actors have since taken over.
He said there is a need for continuous recruitment of Police men to populate the communities recover the ungoverned spaces and restore security of lives and properties across the nation.
Dr. Arase said the Commission will partner with the Institute to fight off the menace of the emerging financial and other crimes in the country adding that he is an advocate of out-sourcing of skills that are lacking in a system. He promised that officials of the Institute would be used as Resource persons at Police Colleges so that the trainees are exposed to cyber and other complex crime prevention at that level.
Earlier, Dr. Gashinbaki had commended the PSC Chairman for the good work he has brought to the Commission which he said was no doubt a product of his impeccable record in the Nigeria Police Force where he rose to the highest office of the Inspector General.
Dr. Gashinbaki said the Institute is uniquely committed to supporting capacity building in crime investigation.
He noted that the Institute would be ready to work with the Commission in its mandate responsibilities of Police Recruitment, Promotion and Discipline, and more especially investigation.
