The new Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, has cautioned against rivalry among security agencies in order to ensure effective tackling of crime in the state.
Mr Enwonwu stated this on Thursday in Ibadan during a courtesy visit to Iskilu Akinsanya, the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Oyo State.
The commissioner said that there was no need for rivalry between the police and NSCDC as the two agencies were working for the same purposes of tackling crime as well as protecting lives and properties.
“There is no reason whatsoever for any rivalry between the personnel of the two security agencies.
“We are children of the same father but different mothers, no right thinking officer will see crime being perpetrated and say it does not concern him.
“When the military arrests and discovers that it is not in their jurisdiction, they call the police to come in and pick the suspect.
“I will urge and advise the NSCDC to do the same so that at the end of day we will all achieve the same result for the betterment of the public and Nigeria in general,” he said.
There have been frequent clashes across the country between officers of the two security agencies.
Last year, police officers in Abuja allegedly beat an NSCDC officer to death for committing a traffic offence.
Mr Enwonwu also said the visit was to seek cooperation and synergy between the police and NSCDC.
He further said that he had emphasised to his officers the need to respect human rights and shun abuse of authority through harassing the public so as to deliver quality service to the people of Oyo State.
Mr Enwonwu said he was looking forward to a good working atmosphere and building on the existing relationship between the police and NSCDC in the state.
In his response, Mr Akinsanya said the visit of the new police commissioner was a morale booster to the NSCDC.
He said the visit would also send a signal to the public that the police and NSCDC in the state were not rivals.
The commandant, however, urged the commissioner to educate the Divisional Police Officers in remote areas of the state to emulate the synergy and cooperation existing between the police and NSCDC at the state headquarters.
“Many of the DPOs in the remote areas of the state don’t relate with the NSCDC properly,” he said.
Mr Akinsanya promised that the NSCDC would continue to sustain the good relationship with the police and other sister security agencies in the state.
He urged the commissioner to facilitate a training programme involved the police and NSCDC in the state to strengthen the relationship among personnel of the two agencies.
