By EVELYN USMAN

LAGOS – Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, weekend, in Lagos, said 142 policemen had been deployed to Guinea- Bissau for peace operations. There had been unrest in that country, aftermath of last month’s military coup.

The policemen, according to Abubakar, would remain in the country until peace was restored.

Describing the  Nigeria Police Force as one of the best in the world,  Abubakar said: “The advance team left on Thursday.  A total of 142 policemen were deployed to Gunea-Bissau to maintain law and order because the United Nations believes that the Nigeria Police is one of the best in the world. Therefore, they want our officers and men to render same service we are rendering in Haiti, Somalia, Sudan and other parts of the world there. The policemen are of different ranks and they will remain there as long as it takes.”

Earlier at the graduation ceremony of  11 newly promoted Assistant Inspectors -General of Police on leadership and strategic course at the Centre for Management Development, CMD, in Lagos, Abubabkar charged the graduands to revamp their intelligence gathering method, with a view  to checkmating activities of criminals, particularly terrorists.

On the current security challenges in the country,  he charged the AIGs to ensure the reduction in violent crimes to a tolerable level, expressing optimism that the two-week course did not only prepare them for the new challenges but provided them with the necessary tool to understand and properly interpret government/ police polices on matters affecting national security.

He noted that rapid changes in the country and the democratic process, imposed huge challenges on the Police, adding “To adjust positively to this new dispensation, the force needs to become more proactive in its planning efforts, especially if we must develop capacity for superior performance. Our goal is to ensure that members of the Force are more competent,  confident and efficient in the art and science of modern policing.”