Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has again come down on the mounting of road checkpoints by his men and officers across the country, saying it is not an effective crime prevention strategy. Speaking with officers and men of Kwara State police command during an official visit to the command headquarters in Ilorin yesterday, the IGP warned that the practice must stop. He directed Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to intensify efforts at regular supervision and monitoring of the checkpoints with a view to arresting officers caught mounting road checkpoints.

Meanwhile, the police chief disclosed that a total number of 37,000 men and officers had been promoted this year, while another list of those due for promotion had been forwarded to the Police Service Commission, PSC, for action. Arase lamented that of late his monitoring team had arrested guilty officers on daily basis, adding that officers so caught in the act would soon be discouraged when regular and effective monitoring is in place.

He however, said that road checkpoints could be unavoidable in some cases, pointing out that police could mount them to detect and arrest car thieves in certain locations during reported snatching of vehicles. The police boss also promised that he would soon embark on regular meetings with stakeholders in a town-hall format, as a means of crime prevention and control. Also, Kwara Police Commissioner, Sam Okaula, said the state command was in urgent need of six Armoured Personnel Carrier, adding that the command could not boast of one at present.

The commissioner, who requested the supply of adequate riot equipment like tear-gas canisters, said the command had always been faced with the problems of inadequate serviceable patrol vehicles, arms and ammunition. Okaula also said there is manpower shortfall in the state command, adding that with strength of 4,467 of the needed 7,560, there was a deficit of 3,093. He stressed that the shortfall was mostly within the rank and file cadre.