By Evelyn Usman

The newly deployed Assistant Inspector-General of Police to Zone 2 command, Onikan, Lagos, Mohammed Ali, resumed yesterday with a warning to criminals to relocate from Lagos and Ogun states or be ready to be dislocated.

The former Commissioner of Police Delta State Command who brought an end to the reign of various robbery gangs, assured residents of both states that the zone under his watch would ensure that crime was brought to the barest minimum and would also create an enabling environment for people to do their lawful businesses.

As a first step to ensuring the safety of the lives and properties of residents of both states, he informed that he and his lieutenants would crime map the states to know where criminals hibernate, adding that the zone would partner with other security stakeholders for information that would assist in smoking criminals out.

Having served in different capacities in Lagos, as Divisional Police Officer, Area Commander and Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP under three Commissioners of Police, AIG Ali promised to replicate what he did in Delta state.

According to him: “I am a hard crime fighter even without being told, so taking anything into cognizance for me is an understatement because I am fully prepared for the job. All I need to say is that the two states under my command will enjoy a reduction in crime to the barest minimum. What I did in Delta State, will be replicated in Zone 2 Command.

“ I am going to tackle the issue of cultism. The best approach to fight cultism is through community policing and that tells you that you have to partner with all major actors and stakeholders, you cannot do it alone. Globally, it has been acknowledged that in crime fighting there is no way the Police can do it alone, you take into cognizance all the actors, like parents, teachers, religious bodies, Landlord Associations and what have you; all the major stakeholders for me are paramount in this fight.

“ For me when you begin to see challenges as problems, you already feel or have that sense of self-defeat. But when you see challenges as opportunities for you to excel, I am sure you will definitely excel. So I don’t see anything as a challenge. We will, therefore, have to improve on whatever we are meeting on the ground. But if you ask me, I would advise criminals to relocate from the zone or those who refuse to relocate we will dislocate them”, he stated”.

On the issue of indiscipline among policemen, AIG Ali informed that ” we have our own internal discipline mechanism. It is an organisation that is well organized in terms of discipline, there is nobody that is above the law in the Nigeria Police Force. When you are showing a lackadaisical attitude to work that is what the junior officers would look up to. In a nutshell, we are going to maintain discipline.”