By: Felix Ikpotor
To ensure effective policing in Rivers and other Niger Delta states, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has donated communication equipment to the Rivers State Command of the Nigerian Police Force.
The commission said the equipment is meant to enhance the capacity of the police in securing the state especially in this yuletide season.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku while handing over the equipment to the police on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command in Port Harcourt, emphasised that communication is key to policing especially digital communication that’s why the commission was working to enhance the digital communication skills of police officers in Rivers State and other commands in the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku, also said the donation will not end with Rivers Command but would be replicated in other states of the region to enhance intelligence sharing and joint security operations.
“These equipment that we are donating to the Nigerian Police Force is just to enhance your performance in policing Rivers State. We intend to also replicate same in the various remaining 8 Commands in the region so that there can also be easy communication when it comes to intelligence sharing because we would not only end in Rivers State.
“These ones might not be too much and anybody might just see them as communication equipment but without communication, there is no security because security is now going digital and with digital security this days you don’t need to be chasing people around and so that is why we are trying to see how we can also improve on the digital security architecture of the police commands in the states of the Niger Delta,” he stated.
The NDDC MD while promising to go a step further by providing Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) for the Commands, also noted that the commission had previously donated a Safe City Centre for the Department of State Services, DSS, in the state, urging for collaboration between both agencies on intelligence sharing towards effective state policing.
He equally recalled that the Commission had earlier donated a barracks for the Command at Omagwa, promising to continue to partner the police in areas of needs.
Ogbuku also extolled the performance of the police in Rivers State, noting that crime rate in the state has reduced despite the yuletide season in sight.
“We know that when it comes to ending of the year, there is usually increase in crime rates but we know that the Nigerian Police Force has also been equal to the task. From September till now, we have not heard of all those incessant crimes around our environment because people normally devote ember months to the period of high crimes but you people have been living up to your responsibilities. We want to thank you for all your sacrifices,” Ogbuku said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Bala, represented by the deputy commissioner of police incharge of administration in the command, DCP Samuel Erale, thanked the NDDC for the kind gesture to the police in the state.
He said with the donation of the equipment, the capacity of men of the Command to effectively cover the state in terms of security and surveillance has been boosted.
“With the provision of this equipment, I can tell you that the citizens of Rivers State can go to sleep and be rest assured that we would be everywhere in this Command.
“The equipment has given us about 80 percent coverage of communication all over the state. We can tell you that it’s very easy now for us to get in touch with each other and monitor the crime rates all over the state easily,” Erale said.
While further appreciating the NDDC for the donations, the Rivers Police boss, highlighted other donations from the commission to include building and furnishing of barracks and provision of vehicles for senior officers.
Also speaking, former Rivers CP, Olatunji Disu, under whose administration the idea was conceived joined in thanking the NDDC for fulfilling the promise.
He assured that Rivers Command has dedicated officers to effectively utilise the equipment for the benefits of people of the state.
