Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, has appointed Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sogbeba West as the new Deputy Force Public Relations Officer.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olabisi Kolawole, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement said that West, who holds a diploma in Security Strategies, hails from Rivers.

It said that West served in Enugu Command as a Personal Assistant to the then Commissioner of Police of the Command.

He had also headed the Special Anti-robbery Squad, Enugu, as well as worked in Taraba Command.

The statement said that West also served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Kosovo and East Timor.

“His experience in policing has seen him through in Nasarawa, Rivers and Kogi Commands.”

He replaces CSP Abayomi Shogunle who now heads the Crime Response Unit (CRU).

Also, the IGP has in Kano donated N1 million to a policeman for his gallantry in service.

Cpl. Ibrahim Adamu lost four fingers during a gun battle with cattle rustlers in the notorious Falgore forest recently.

Arase announced the donation while addressing officers and men of the state Police Command in Kano on Tuesday.

NAN reports that the IG also promoted and decorated Cpl. Adamu with the rank of Sergent.

He said the injured policeman was given the money to enable him seek medical attention.

The IG said the force would continue to give priority attention to the welfare of its personnel for effective service delivery.

He disclosed that the force had concluded arrangements to give scholarship to 300 children of some officers and men.

Arase said that the decision was informed by the commitment to ensure that children of junior officers were given the opportunity to further their studies.

“We are doing this to reduce the fear of the unknown among the officers after retiring.”

He also disclosed that plan was underway to build houses for the junior officers in all the six geo-political zones of the country as part of renewed efforts to provide decent accommodation for them.

He, therefore, urged officers and men of the command to avoid acts capable of denting the image of the Force.

Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammad Katsina, told the IG that the Command had recovered 3,338 rustled cattle in the last two months.

Katsina said that the command had also recovered 191 goats, nine sheep and two dogs during the period under review.

He said that the command had also arrested 67 suspected armed robbers and 71 suspected rapists.

He, however, said that inadequate manpower and logistics challenges were some of the factors militating against the smooth operations of the command.

“We have only 7,967 police officers and two mobile police units, hence the need for the command to have more hands to enable it discharge its duties effectively.”

NAN reports that the IG was in the state in continuation of his nationwide tour of various state commands. (NAN)

•Photo shows IGP Arase.

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