Police Commissioners Don’t Need My Approval To Make Decisions -IG

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, National News, News Across Nigeria Thursday, January 21st, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigeria’s Inspector-general of Police Mohammed Adamu, says that the force is already practicing the decentralization of the decision-making structure of the police adding that the Commissioners of Police in the 36 states of the country dont need his approval before taking decisions in the areas they operate.

Adamu disclosed this on Wednesday when he appeared on ARISE News saying that the police commissioners in the various state commands in the country are responsible for making decisions in the state as it relates to crime and criminality and maintaining law and order.

He said: “The decision-making structure in the police needs to be decentralised. Not everything should come to the commissioner of police for a decision to take. Not everything should come to the Assistant-inspector general in the zone a decision to take and not everything should come to the Inspector-general for the IG to make a decision. Decision must be decentralized.

“And so in reforming the police, we believe and we’ve started implementing it, that the structure we have, yes we have one Inspector-general of police but in every state command we have Commissioners of police who are in charge of that state and the state has a government with a governor.

“So the Commissioner of police responsibilities and area of jurisdiction and powers stay within that state and is to work with the governor and implement policies of government of that state in areas of crime and criminality and law and order. He doesn’t need to refer to the Inspector-general for any decision to be taken. The Commissioner of police must have the ability to take the decision himself.

“The same thing with the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) at a local government area. There’s a local government authority there with the chairman of the local government and his council, the DPO is part of the council.

“So any matters on security, crime and criminality discussed within the local government must be implemented there, the DPO must take decision without waiting for the Commissioner of police to tell him what to do.”