The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, has urged officers under his command to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline, and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
Adepoju gave the charge during a high-level strategic meeting with senior officers of the Command, including Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Team Commanders, held on Thursday at the Police Officers’ Mess, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The session reviewed recent operations, assessed accomplishments, and mapped out fresh security strategies for the state.
The CP highlighted operational successes in September, which included the arrest of several suspects in continuous raids across black spots, the neutralization of two murder suspects, the arrest of five suspected kidnappers and five suspected cultists, the rescue of kidnap victims, as well as the recovery of stolen vehicles, illegal arms, and ammunition.
While commending his men for their bravery and commitment, Adepoju warned against misconduct such as extortion, incivility to the public, unlawful detention of suspects, and illegal duties like escorting land grabbers. He stressed that professionalism is key to sustaining public trust in the police.
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The meeting also featured lectures on disciplinary procedures for senior officers, delivered by DCP Samuel Etaifo-Erale, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Finance and Administration, and on mental health for police officers, delivered by counsellor Rita Bassey, who underscored the importance of psychological well-being in policing.
Key directives issued by the CP include holding regular stakeholder engagements to capture community concerns, strengthening community and intelligence-led policing, boosting visibility policing, and investing in continuous training and retraining of officers.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property in Rivers State while calling on residents to cooperate with the police by providing timely information and reporting suspicious activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, signed the statement.
