The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali-Baba, Tuesday received from Imo State government operational vehicles and 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers.
Alkali-Baba performed the inauguration in a brief ceremony at the Government House, Owerri, on Tuesday.
Other operational vehicles presented to the IGP were three refurbished Armoured Personnel Carriers, two Toyota Hummer buses, one Toyota Sienna bus, one Toyota Hilux van and one truck.
Performing the exercise, the Police Chief thanked the state Government for enhancing the capacity of security agencies in the state through the procurement of critical operational assets.
He assured Imo people that the operational vehicles would be deployed within the state and maximally utilized by the state Police Command to advance the quest for peace, security, and socio-economic development.
He advised violent groups in parts of the state to desist from using extra-constitutional means to project their concerns but to have a rethink and join hands with security agencies in exploring peaceful options and restoring order.
In his words, ” Imo presents a unique security challenge as one of the major commercial heartbeats of the South-East thus requiring a leader with the political will to draw on scarce budgetary resources to equip and re-energise its security architecture.
” The procurement and inauguration of these critical operational assets will undoubtedly, change the policing narratives in Imo and set a benchmark which other states will draw on in the national drive to frontally confront current and evolving security threats “, he said.
Governor Hope Uzodimma on the occasion explained that the donation was an evidence of his commitment to the professional readiness of the police and gratitude to the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government for the restoration of peace in the state.
The Governor described the donation as a deliberate and sustainable effort aimed at enhancing the capacity of the police to execute their constitutional law enforcement mandate.
Uzodimma fondly called Onwa Oyoko expressed gratitude to the Police in the state for their gallantry and display of uncommon professional efficiency in the fight against banditry and criminality in the recent past but regretted that some officers lost their lives in the process.
“I thank you for your courage and professionalism, we have been able to contain the criminal onslaught of hoodlums and their sponsors who vowed to make the state ungovernable for me.
“Their modus operandi involved vicious attacks on law enforcement officers and civilians alike, and I cannot thank you enough for coming to our rescue when it mattered most.
” Today, on behalf of the state government, I am presenting for inauguration and immediate deployment, additional 10 numbers of Armoured Personal Carriers and other vehicles to further strengthen the effectiveness of the police force in the state.
” This latest donation has been necessitated by the fact that the police have become targets of attacks across the country, including here in Imo. We intend to protect the Police, to enable them to protect us “, he said.
Our Correspondent reports that the event was attended by all members of the Imo State Executive Council, heads of security agencies in Imo, as well as traditional and religious leaders.
