Commissioner of Police in charge of Anambra State Police Command, Ikioye Orutugu, has explained why there was no crisis during the just-concluded gubernatorial election in Anambra State that saw the re-election of Professor Charles Soludo, saying indigenes have embraced peace and community policing.
In an Interview with Daily Sun after the election, the CP explained that, looking at the history of electioneering campaigns and elections proper, there were certain places that used to be no-go areas but things have changed, as the areas have “become born-again and have keyed into the mainstream desire of the generality of Anambra people that peace is very important.”
“Mr. Governor even commended the police and security agencies that, for the first time in like three, four, five years, campaigns took place in certain areas that were previously unthinkable. You could not even wear a party T-shirt there. You don’t go to those areas identifying yourself as a Nigerian because they had been endemic with a thought pattern and process that they were not Nigerians but Biafrans, and any elections that had to do with Nigeria, they would not partake. But, somehow, by the intentional nature of Mr. Governor and the support he’s gotten from the security agencies—the police, the military, and the traditional vigilante groups—we can all see the results. So, what was the magic? There was no magic.
“I would say visible policing and policing with the intention of creating trust and confidence did it. When I arrived in Anambra, there was so much distrust between the Anambra people and the police—not because of the character and attitude of the average policeman, of course, that may be one of the reasons—but because of the deep-rooted Biafra, IPOB, ESN agitation, which had made some level of false impression in the minds of certain people in Anambra.
“But we had a governor that came out to contend with everything that was anti-federal government. Even if, by party politics, he may not belong to the centre, but by his progressive attitude he was pro-federal government and made it clear for the people that he was not part of the IPOB self-governance thing. There was some sort of synergy between him, the government, the federal government, and the security agencies, and this is the result.
“There was also what I may call an intense community policing drive. We came with bare hands, so to say. We did not come with the attitude of, ‘Oh, we have the guns, we have the cartridges.’ No, we came to elicit trust. So we created some sort of synergy by getting close to the community. The Anambra communities started seeing the Anambra police as one of their own.
“We started doing that by constant engagement. Almost every other day, I am in every community. I did not just stay in my office to say, ‘Okay, call me this, call me that.’ The last action I took outside visiting all the area commanders and known villages was to send for the 79 PGs. And if you know the administrative system of Anambra State, just like in some other southeastern states, the PG is a very strong position. After the E-grade, I think it’s the PG that has contact both with the community and government.
“So I called the President Generals ( PGs). I was in constant communication with the PGs; where there were issues between the PGs and the age-grades, I settled them. And I had a policy of non-involvement in land matters. Because, if you know the case analysis of the trends of crime and criminality in Anambra State, it starts with land issues and ends with land issues. If you have assassination, if you have threats to life, all these things, if you trace them, start with land.
“And land as a resource is very important to people in Anambra. So I made it clear that anything land-related, the police will not want to get into it, except it is expressly seen that it is likely to cause a breach of public peace. If not, most times, I don’t get involved in that.
“I was basing my actions on reconciliation, reassuring the people, trying to counsel the people, trying to identify how they can be better. And the kids, everyone needs peace. It’s just a few people in the society that will say, ‘Oh, I do not want peace.’ Everyone needs peace. And they have realised over the years that this crisis, this hitting on the police, would not pay and does not pay.
“That’s why, today, as I talk to you, even if IPOB bosses are passing by, and another IPOB member is calling me, and passing by a police checkpoint, they will just exchange addresses and go. They call me once in a while to tell me, ‘See you, we don’t have any problems with police, if there’s any person that attacks a policeman, we should let them know.
“Going back to the election, prior to this all-important election, we went around the villages and local governments. “I’m a police officer now. Must I go there? There’s something to go visiting around in Nigeria. You’re campaigning for peace too. That is what I’m saying. I applied to the IGP, and he had approved some sort of security summit, a police-public security summit, where we as police officers would come and stand before the people, and the people would tell us what they do not like about us.
“Then the same people would tell us why they are after maybe herdsmen. I sought that kind of summit session, but because of time, we could not hold it. I’ll postpone it till next year, if I’m still around. However, I realised that I could always buy fuel in my car, inform the IGP that I’m coming, and all of them were happy. Any place I go, even IPOB, everyone comes out to talk to me.
“However, for me to achieve that, I had set the foundation that I was accessible. That’s it. I was not this armchair CP. People had known over the months I’ve been around that ‘Oh, the CP is somebody you can call and talk to.’
“ I was visible in public. Everyone, whether motherless babies or missing children, I would be on the streets looking for the children. I would go to the Ministry of Women Affairs, identify with the children, and speak with mothers that have challenges.
“The media played a very important role. I had a plan that understands the meaning of positive publicity. Without my knowing, it was just releasing messages about my statements, about my actions. I was just doing my job.
“Sometimes, like a month to Easter, I said, ‘Easter is coming soon, and this is the period they are likely to start kidnapping. There is likely to be a problem, so let us launch a Zero-Kidnapping Easter.’ We launched it, and all through Easter there was not a single incident of kidnapping.
“Then they say, Bishop, this man… Bishop Okonkwo and Nestle Oil… It was a huge marriage, one of the biggest in town. Even Mr. Governor, as he was leaving, said, ‘CP, I am leaving them all in your hands, make sure that the wedding has no problem,’ and not even a vehicle was scratched. The whole world was in Anambra, and there was no negative incident
“Then, Mr. Governor, I mean, Mr. President, decided to approach, to come see them again. That was another challenge. And the police, the security agencies, found something like a buffer zone, a link zone, a buffer between the negative forces. They now began to see that this was a different sort of police officer, who was not carrying a cane to pursue them. I stand in the middle, bring the natives from my right, and relate them to the government. Mr. President came; Anambra turned out in their mass. It was a beautiful welcome, live on television, and there was no problem.”
On the issue of police misconduct, CP Orutugu said in tandem with his leadership principles, “Discipline is a lifestyle.” According to him, he created synergy with other security agencies because, life, to exist effectively, requires understanding the importance of symbiotic existence.
“When I arrived, I made a programme to start visiting all sister agencies, to understand the relationships they had with my predecessors. I visited the Prisons, Customs and other agencies. They appreciated it; it was infectious.”
Giving credit to Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for the maximum support he has been receiving, Orutugu enthused that “The IGP has been very supportive, compassionate about creating a new Nigeria Police. Anything I asked, he approved: training for local vigilance groups, summits, etc. He has never turned me down.”
He, however, observed that there is no election totally devoid of challenges, “Votes are not like onions or oranges displayed on the road. Accusations do not necessarily reflect reality. Arrests were made when necessary. Voter education and enlightenment on the disadvantages of vote-buying were key. Social media may show accusations, but there were no scuffles anywhere.”
On how he was able to contain the state’s paramilitary security group Agunachemba during the election, he said, “That was part of the process. Being a member of a local vigilance group does not prevent one from voting. During pre-election peace campaigns, I told people to wear their best dress and vote for the candidates of their choice. There was no visible uniform presence, and they listened. We learned a lot from the last senatorial by-election, and it set the stage for this election. Anambra is an example that Nigeria can get it right.”
The sun
