By Gbenga Akingbule
Residents from across the 27 Local Government Councils of Borno State will henceforth witness improved response time to emergencies and continued crackdown on criminal activities, Police authorities in the state have assured on Wednesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Police Commissioner in Borno State Muhammad Lawal Yusufu said the new vehicles donated by the state government have since been deployed to the nooks and crannies of the state and have started yielding the desired result of reducing crime to its bearest minimum.
This was made known during a town hall interactive meeting with residents of the state as part of activities to commemorate the maiden National Police Day slated for the 7th of April.
The National Police Day celebration is focusing its attention on the need to further prevent crime by Saying No: to Cultism, Drug Abuse and Substance Abuse, S3xual Based Violence, Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Cyber Crime, Gang Violence, Vandalism and Rape.
Last month, the Borno State Government, led by Governor Babagana Zulum donated 110 brand-new operational vehicles, 500 motorcycles and 280 houses to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.
The Police, in particular, got 60 Hilux patrol vehicles to enhance crime fighting and ensure the protection of lives and properties in the state
The Commissioner Police stated that the vehicles which were commissioned by the Inspector General Of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun have since been deployed to Divisional Police Command where patrol has since intensified and criminal elements are kept at bay.
“We’re going to do more to improve on our response time to distress or incidents. We’re happy about the feedback we’re getting from this community engagement, and we will continue to do our best to keep our communities safe,” CP Yusufu said.
The Commissioner of Police added that the Command will continue to give emergency numbers to members of the public so as to further aid its response time to distress and other forms of emergencies.
On Thursday, the Borno Police Command, in continuation of the celebration, the maiden Police Week engaged in free medical outreach to residents of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and carried out sanitation exercise around the very busy Monday Market area.
The clean-up exercise which was done in conjunction with the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA) according to the CP is to further bring the citizens closer, contribute their services to the community and “let them know the Police is their friend.”
“The Police can not Police without the community, one of the visions of IGP Kayode Egbetokun is people- a centric approach. The IGP wants the Commissioner of Police across the country and all other tactical teams to work assiduously to reduce the crime rate by 50%.
“We’re just in the first quarter of 2025, and the crime rate in Borno State has reduced tremendously,” CP Yusufu said.
