Olawale Olokode, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 12 in Bauchi, has tasked police officers to carry out their duties with a human face and a fear of God.
On Friday, Olokode visited the Police Command Headquarters in Gombe and addressed the officers and soldiers of the command while there.
He asserted that members of the command should exercise restraint when policing in light of their obligation to do so with professionalism, dignity, and respect for human rights.
He believed that in order to gain the confidence of the populace, police personnel needed to be kind and diplomatic in their interactions with the general public.
“You police in a way that it will have a human face and also have the fear of God while doing your job. This makes the police more responsible and acceptable within the community.
“There is no how we can police the society if they do not have trust in us.
“I remember during the ENDSARS protest, there were police stations and officers that were even protected by the community, that is the reward for human face policing,” he said.
Olokode urged the policemen to accord priority to compassion in the course of community service.
“My vision is to make police within the zone, a leading national, professional and efficient law enforcement organisation.
“A police force that is dynamic, robust and efficient; one that never rests or abdicates its professional duty that studies and analyses what works and what does not, acknowledges and learns from its mistakes and celebrates its victory.”
While cautioning officers against exposing themselves to attack, the AIG advised them to always carry out proper background assessment before going out to work.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Oqua Etim said Gombe State had remained peaceful in view of the collective and collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.
Etim assured that his men were motivated and trained to keep fit for the task of securing the state. (NAN)