Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase says that the Nigerian Police, has the least corrupt officers of all the institutions in the country.
Arase said this at the annual symposium during a Feast of Barracuda organised by the National Association of Seadogs.
According to him, the Police had made frantic efforts in tackling corruption even among the officers and had set in motion machinery to fish out corrupt officers in the force.
Arase, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu said that the practical step to deal with corruption was to dismantle road blocks and that has already been done.
“The IG said he is allergic to corruption and since then he has taken practical steps to deal with the issue of corruption, both the history of corruption and perception of corruption of the Nigeria Police Force,” inalegwu said.
“One of the first things he did was to set up the IGP’s Monitoring Teams. First of all the decision by the Police Management Team was to take out roadblocks across all our highways. It was not just to dismantle it, he set up the IGP Monitoring Team to ensure that these directives are enforced.
“If you go across most of our highways now roadblocks have been reduced to the barest minimum, and anybody mounting roadblocks, does that at his risk.
“Presentations are also made where Commissioners of Police are invited to look at the situations across the country right from the condition of suspects in Police cells and they have a technical platform that enable them to monitor the behaviour and conduct of police officers on the road as they handle suspects.
“On the issue of welfare of police and accommodation, the IG met with the OC Works across the country and they concluded to have 6,000 affordable houses for officers across the country.
“The IG said bail is free! Help lines have been provided where you can supply information. You can call to inform that you went to this station and paid this amount and I can assure you, action will be taken. Bail is free, the monitoring teams are going round to practically deal with those avenues that can lead to corruption.
“The Nigeria Police has the capacity to investigate any corrupt case under the laws, either the Crminal Code law or the Penal Code law. The Police has the competence and the capacity to investigate corrupt cases.
“The Police management under Solomon Arase is doing everything possible to eliminate corruption and has taken practical steps leading to that.
“Once corruption cases are given to the police, the cases must be investigated. The Police is the least corrupt officers in every organisation because it has an in house way of dealing with the issue of organisation, trying officers, arresting officers who engage in corrupt practices.
“I think you can hardly find institutions that is like Police taking practical steps to deal with corruption, all I want to say by way of challenge is have confidence in the Police,” Inalegwu said.
Also speaking, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Paul Erokoro said that the fight against corruption in the country will not produce any good results with corrupt leaders on the saddle.
“We should lead by example and it involves people insisting that the President should declare his assets in public,” he said.