IGP says Nigerian police ‘rotten image’ worrisome

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday lamented that Nigeria police was suffering from a bad image.

He, however, urged the force image-makers to ensure that the image was repaired as soon as possible.
Adamu spoke during the opening ceremony of the Police Public Relations Officers’ Conference at Agulu, Anambra State.

The police chief, who was represented by an Assistant- Inspector General of Police, Baba Tijjani, said he decided to embark on programs to repair the image of the force.

He said: “Unarguably, certain indiscretions and perceived inactions by some personnel of the Force, as well as the security challenges in some parts of the country, impact negatively on the image of the Force.

“This reality, coupled with the dynamic nature of the crime, rapidly advancing information and communication technology, and the changing policing environment that we deal with in the line of our duty, have combined to redefine both the concept of policing and the perception of the police by the citizens.

“Indeed, experts have asserted that there is an intertwining relationship between public perception and the effectiveness of the police to attain its internal security mandate.

“The import of this is that our ability to win over the public trust and confidence as a pathway to crime management is precedent on the capacity of you, the officers, to rebrand the police and project it positively to the citizens.”

According to the IGP, the public relations department of the Nigeria Police remained critical, adding that it was therefore imperative that the PPROs were continually equipped with necessary skills and knowledge to efficiently engage the public and effectively manage the image and perceptions about the Force.

The conference, which had the theme: “Public Relations Strategies and Communication Skills,” was attended by PPROs from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, the 12 Zonal Police Public Relations Officers, as well as Staff Officers of the Force Public Relations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

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