The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 (Lagos and Ogun States), Adeleke Adeyinka, has warned his men to be more professional and civil while dealing with members of the public to avoid a repeat of nationwide protests such as #EndSARS.
Adeyinka said another #EndSARS protest may lead to the end of the Nigeria police.
The AIG gave the warning while addressing men of the Ogun State Police command during his visit to the command in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The nationwide #EndSARS protest led to the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police, over its record of abuse of Nigerians.
He said, “another EndSARS may lead to the end of the police.
“The criminals that perpetrated that act that time are going to come out more experienced. The mistakes they made then, they are not going to make them now and that is why your conduct towards the members of the public must be effective.”
He lamented the high rate of cultism among police officers and warned them against misconduct and other acts that may trigger civil unrest.
Adeleke also charged the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, to fish out officers involved in cultism and cybercrime, who according to him, are giving the police a bad name.
“If you (police officer) are a cultist I don’t think you should show it to people because it is wrong and do you know why it is wrong even if you are not wicked, if you belong to a cult group there is no way you are not going to favour a member of your cult, unless you are not a good cult member.
“A situation where a police officer is a member of a cult group and people in the society know that he is a cultist, his activities are related to cultism, I think it is sad.
“There are some of our policemen too now that are into cybercrime, popularly know as yahoo yahoo, especially policemen who find themselves in places where we have institutions of higher learning, it is very common. You (commissioner) need to fish them out and you need to preach to them,” Adeleke said.