i came To Rivers State With An Open Mind’

Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin was the former Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU). An astute investigator, Ogunshakin was with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Tribunal (ICPC) before he was invited to revive the then ailing SFU. During the running battle between Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the former Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, there was public outcry.The Inspector General Of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar, was urged to remove Mbu. The IGP saw Ogunshakin as a fine replacement due to his pedigree. And since Ogunsakin assumed office as Rivers State Police Commissioner a few months ago, peace has returned to the state.   In this interview with ODITA SUNDAY Ogunsakin said his relationship with governor Rotimi Amaechi has been cordial.   
WHAT are your major challenges as CP Rivers State?
Every state has its own challenges. The major challenges in Rivers State have been kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism. But I have been able to confront them frontally because, when you look at our statistics, you will agree with me that crime in the state has gone down drastically. In terms of kidnapping, it has gone down seriously, in terms of armed robbery, it has equally gone down because almost on a daily basis we make arrests through stop-and-search. We recover arms and ammunition on a daily basis.
  What I did the first week I came to Rivers State was to impress it on my officers that we are not on the roads to look for vehicle particulars or ask for drivers’ licenses from motorists. What we are on the roads is for stop-and-search. We search any vehicle. No matter how highly placed a person is, he or she must submit to stop-and-search. I have cameras all over the state and I stay in my office to monitor the activities of my men. Just recently, I was monitoring my men searching a brand new vehicle. Just because it was a new vehicle, my men were thinking whether it was necessary to search the vehicle or not but our sniffer dog was barking and going round the car thereby fuelling suspicion that something was amiss. I ordered them to search the car thoroughly and an AK 47 riffle was recovered from the car. So, I give my men courage to do their job and since they know that I monitor them from my office, they do not compromise.
   Well, the fear of my camera is the beginning of wisdom for my men. Members of the public are also helping us. Just a few days ago, a man was kidnapped and immediately a call was put to our control room giving the description of the vehicle the hoodlums were operating in, and the direction it was heading to. Within some minutes, the kidnappers were arrested and the victim rescued.
  We noticed that kidnapping was always done from Thursday to the weekend. So, we mapped out strategies to deal with the kidnappers from Thursday. Our men are fully at alert. Moreso, we found out that once a victim is kidnapped, the abductors would take him or her to the creeks through the waterways. So, we have blocked the waterfronts. There is no longer an escape route for kidnappers into the creeks.
  We need some logistics to enable us patrol the waterfronts.  For example, our gunboat needs repair. It is grounded but if it is repaired, we will do better. Our waterfront is too large and we cannot patrol it without gunboats. It is a very big challenge but with our strategy of blocking the escape routes for kidnappers, we pick them up like chicken
The mindset of the people was that you would continue from where your predecessor, Joseph Mbu stopped because they see Rivers police boss as an appendage of the Federal Government. What is your position on this?
 Well, I don ‘t know what you mean by appendage of the Presidency but Nigeria police is under the federal government. The president of Nigeria is a person I respect so much but I came to Rivers State to do purely police work. I was not sent to fight anyone. I came to Rivers State with an open mind. When I was coming here, the Inspector General of Police told me that I should go and do my police job and that is what I am doing. The Rivers State government and the people of the state are working fine with me. We are on good terms. I have no problem with them. There are some areas I may disagree with the governor but I don’t have to make it public. I will tell him and we have mutual respect for each other.
The Book Haram threat is no longer a Northern thing now with the bomb scare in Imo and some other states. How prepared are you in Rivers? 
  We cannot rule out that what happened in Owerri may not happen here. Terrorists as we all know like springing up surprises. And they like striking where they will get attention. So, we are not sleeping, we are putting all measures to seeing that we do not experience bomb blast in the state. Aside from police readiness, we are talking to religious leaders, community heads, hoteliers and schools on what they should do to assist the police in information gathering. When they have guests, they should tell us. We are overseeing the seaports, airport and market places. Actually, we are in a country where there is freedom of movement, but what happened in Imo and Abia states are eye openers to us. We are fully prepared for such challenges.
How prepared are you for 2015 general election if you are still here?
Yesterday, I met with the Electoral Commissioner, I discussed with him. We are doing enlightenment campaign towards 2015 general election. As far as I am concerned, there is no problem come 2015. We are fully prepared as we do not have to wait till that time. Adequate security measures will be put in place. We are going to synergize with other security agencies for the success of the election.
How are you fighting   corruption and extortion in your command?
Of course, you know my background as an anti-corruption person. I worked in the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Interpol and the Special Fraud Unit (SFU). So, I don’t compromise on corruption. The first thing I did when I resumed here is to warn my Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Area Commanders that I won’t condone corruption. I warned my DPOs not to give me returns. I had sworn that I would arrest any police officer that brings money to my office. Any officer who brings returns to me must go in for that. I have warned my Area Commanders and DPOs to face their jobs of combating crime. I have warned them with emphasis that they must not give me money because the Inspector General of police is not asking me to give him money. Then why should I request for money from them? I told them that there must not be successful incident of armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism in their areas; otherwise I will remove them through walkie-talkie. I told them that corruption is not tolerated and my warning is working perfectly well.  Like I told you, I have my camera, which I use in monitoring the state. What I need to do is to focus it somewhere then I will pick whatever my men at that area are doing and the warning is working like magic. I also have my monitoring unit, which goes to areas unannounced. I have dealt with one of my DPOs and it stands as deterrent to others. There is check. I am winning the war on corruption and the fear of my camera is the beginning of wisdom in Rivers State.
Cultism is on the increase in Rivers. Are you not concerned?
The militancy era brought in the proliferation of arms and with the political activities approaching, some unscrupulous politicians will want to use the cultists to attack their perceived enemies. That was why we banned all youths activities because they were hiding under that guise to plan evil. Fortunately, the traditional rulers are in support of what I am doing. As we are today, the issue of cultism is coming down.
How have you been promoting community policing in Rivers?
I found out that there was problem in the Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC). We suspended them, we constituted a caretaker committee to start afresh the screening and registration of new members because some hoodlums have penetrated the PCRC. I have a community-policing officer who liaises with the public. I must confess, Rivers State people are good people in the area of giving out information to the police. They help the police a lot. Once they notice that something is happening, they will call the police. The people here are very responsive to security situation around them. The good thing is that when the people give information, it is genuine. They are wonderful people. In other states, people find it difficult to give information but the Rivers indigenes are great people. They are responsible for all the successes we are recording. Most of the stop-and-search successes we have recorded are from them. I appeal to them to keep doing what they are doing. I love working in Rivers State because they make policing easy for the police. People of the state should continue to have open mind and remain truthful as they are, because they don’t give false information but they should see me as an impartial CP who is not here to play politics. I want them to be assured that there is no threat coming from anywhere as we are battle ready but they should report any suspicious movement to the police.
What are your Operational achievements?
Since my resumption of office as the Commissioner of Police, there have been astronomical achievements in the area of operations. Criminals can no longer consider Rivers State a safe haven. My dedicated and well motivated officers of the command have demonstrated strong commitment to combating crime in all manifestations.
 Within this period, a large number of suspects have been arrested with 1,115 ammunitions and firearms recovered by different divisions and units. Over 35 victims of kidnap have been rescued in this time also. In February, a total of 181 cases were recorded of which 257 suspects were arrested. A total of 98 cases were charged to court alongside 175 suspects, out of which 33 suspects were convicted, 78 cases were recorded of which 213 suspects were arrested. Of these, 99 cases were charged to court alongside 166 suspects out of which 36 suspects were convicted, 72 are awaiting trials, while 16 were discharged and acquitted.
  In April, a total of 198 cases were recorded of which 344 suspects were arrested. Of these, 128 cases were charged to court alongside 243 suspects, out of which 84 suspects were convicted, 135 are awaiting trial, while 24 were discharged and acquitted.