ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has given the police the Intelligence and Surveillance Centre (ISC) built by his administration.
The centre was built to boost the efforts of security agencies in tackling crimes across the state to the police.
The ISC, located at Ogbum-Nu-Abali community of Port Harcourt, was inaugurated yesterday by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba.
Governor Wike said the centre is equipped with the latest technology to help improve crime fighting capability of police officers and make the state safer.
The Governor stressed on the need to create more environment conducive for the residents to go about their businesses without fear.
Wike said: “Let me say clearly: this is our own contribution to making sure we have peace, fight insecurity, and those who do business and reside here can sleep with their two eyes close.”
The Governor assured the people that a similar project would be built and donated to the police in the next six months.
According to him, his administration has already placed an order for 10 more armoured vehicles for the ISC to strengthen the performance of officers that would be deployed to the centre.
The former Minister said crime fighting in the state had improved tremendously since the IGP was appointed because he decided not to politicize security.
The Governor also recalled that before the IGP appointment, police commissioners posted to the Rivers State were changed regularly, leading to the state having eight different commissioners of police within a short time.
He said: “Let me commend our special guest of honour for the support you’re giving to this command to fight crime. I want to say it on good authority that since you came, we have had peace, we have had a good relationship with the police command, unlike what used to happen before where in one year, we had over eight commissioners of police.
“I thank you for not bringing politics in security issues. That is why today, Rivers people can count here as one of the safest states.”
IGP Baba thanked Governor Wike for providing the centre, adding that it would enhance the police capability to perform according to international best practice.
“Your excellency, this project is a main boost to my agenda of policing Nigeria in this contemporary time, which is in tandem with providing international best practices of using technology and ICT to police with ease,” he said
The Police boss assured that Port Harcourt would be under surveillance and monitored within the control room at the centre.
Baba said the ISC would be combined with the Police Cyber Crime Unit (CCU) to render improved policing to Nigerians.
“I want to assure you that police will make use judiciously of this centre in collaboration with our cybercrime unit to tackle all forms of crime and criminality. We will do the needful to discharge our duty as expected,” he said.