By Augustine Ehikioya
Six months in the saddle as the Commissioner of Police (CP), Enugu State Police Command, has led to outstanding security achievements under CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa in the State.
While various arrests, clamp down on cultism, kidnapping, and armed robbery were effected during the period, sit at home order adversely affecting the economy, and the people were effectively tackled under his watch.
CP Giwa, who has previously worked in the State and knows the various trouble spots, spoke with the Security Watch Africa (SWA) crew in the State.
On the state of security in the State, he said, “I assumed duty here, precisely on the 11th of March, 2025. Enugu State generally is not new to me.
You recall that I was a Commander between December 2010 and June 2015.
“The map of Enugu is more or less on my palm. So, I just needed little time when I took over to refresh my memory. So I just I hit the ground running.
“I was able to study the security situation of the state. I was able to sit and strategise with my officers on the ground.”
He went on, “You know, Enugu used to be the capital of the Eastern Region. We have a border with Kogi, we have border with Benue, we have border with Ebonyi, we have border with Anambra, and we have border with Abia.
“So when I took over duty, I checked all those flash areas. I did a threat analysis, terrain analysis of the entire State, and areas where we are having challenges, especially the issue of IPOB and ESN.
“I discovered that they were more prominent in parts of Oji River.
“Maybe the reason why they were able to gain ground in the areas were because of the difficult terrain, but despite that, I was able to work very hard together with my officers, when I was able to identify some of the areas where they were, and we were able to conduct series of raids.”
From the series of raids, the CP said the Command was able to pick a lot of them.
After they were investigated, he said that they were charged to court, leading to some of them now in the Correctional Centres.
CP Giwa added, “We also looked at the Oji River Local Government Area, where I utilise intelligence. I was able to raid most of their hideouts. We were able to round them up. You look at it today, the State is very calm.”
On the Sit-At-Home order, he said, “When I came, I was told about Sit-At-Home. I told my officers that there will never be Sit-At-Home. We need to work very hard to ensure that every law-abiding citizen go about their normal businesses.
“So every Monday, if you come here, you will discover that there’s nothing like that. Sit-At-Home is a thing of the past.
“And additionally, I’ve been able to synergise with other sister security agencies, like the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Civil Defence, Neighbourhood Watch, even the Forest Guards. I’ve been able to bring them together.
“We worked together, and we have achieved a lot. If you recall, I think a month ago, we had the NBA Conference where we had thousands of lawyers, including other very important personalities.
“All the hotels were booked, and I had no option than to put in place pungent security measures in order to ensure that I don’t allow the remnants of the criminals that may still be hibernating within the State.
“I made sure I suffocated them, and to God be the glory throughout the event that took about one week, there was no incident that was recorded.”
Speaking on arrests and recoveries, he said, “Within the six months I’ve spent, I was able to arrest a total of 5176 suspects.
“And when we break it down, we have suspects that were involved in the case of armed robbery, 98 of them, cases associated with kidnapping, where we have 87
number of suspects arrested, cases of murder, we have 50, unlawful possession of firearms and the ammunition, we had 16, we have a total of 11 cases associated with rape and defilement.
“We also had a total number of 122 suspects associated with cult and cult related cases.
“And then a total of 4792 others were arrested in cases relating to stealing, breaking offences, human trafficking, vandalism, among other crimes.
“And the aspect of recoveries and rescues that we were able to make during the period under review, a total of 113 kidnap victims were rescued.
“We were also able to recover a total of 105 arms such as AK 47 rifles, g3 rifles, and other assorted firearms, a total number of 271 ammunition and 71 vehicles were recovered during the period under review and still counting.”
Continuing, the CP said, “We’re just mopping out the criminals, but one that is actually quite encouraging is the arrest of cultists and cult related activities.
“Most of my operations are intelligence based. I have a lot of informants that give me information. I have public spirited individuals who are also interested in the State having total peace. They call me at odd hours. They give me information.
“So based on the information I get from both my intelligence units and my tactical teams too, they are always up, they are always on their toes.
“I make sure they are on their toes and not just be on their toes, I made an arrangement for a training programme, of which I applied to the Inspector General of Police to direct the Director of Peacekeeping to give me some instructors.”
Using the instructors for a period of six weeks, he said, he was able to train all the categories of his officers in the command, both the Divisional Police Officers, the tactical units, and even security in the Government House.
“And the CP too, there are no resting weekends. I go out on combat patrols with some of my teams. I go to those areas that have been seen to be a no-go area.
“I enter those areas and to God be the glory, people that I meet on ground in groups, I stay, I chat with them.
“They told me that the area is now calm, and the remnants that are still remaining have run away. They have left the State.
“But I’m not resting on my oars. Even if we have the need to pursue them, we will pursue them to the States outside Enugu.
“I don’t hesitate to do that. And I’ve been receiving the cooperation of CPs of those States, and we have been getting them and bringing them back here so they are cooling their feet at the Correctional Centres.”
Speaking on the Command and Control Centre in the State, he said “When I assumed duty, I was made to understand that we have a Command and Control Centre and we have the DRS vehicles and these vehicles are strategically positioned.
“We have cameras. We have traffic cameras. We have vehicular cameras mounted on these patrol vehicles, and these vehicles, wherever they are positioned, they can cover an area up to five kilometre radius, whatever is happening around that place.
“The Command and Control Centre, given that those vehicles are there with the cameras mounted on them, they will be able to intercept to know what is happening there.
“And kudos to His Excellency, the executive governor of the State.
He’s someone that is so passionate about the security of the State, he made huge investment because ensuring that these vehicles, these equipments, are gotten, so that it will make the job of the Commissioner of Police simple and very, very easy.
“If you look at the Opi – Enugu road, that road used to be troubled by the activities of kidnappers and armed robbers. If you pass there today, you will see the position of these DRS vehicles.
“It has been able to assist greatly in checking the excesses of these kidnappers and the armed robbers.
The CP also assured that the farmers, herders clashes in the State have become a thing of the past.
“So apart from the Metro itself, there are other areas outside the State, like the trouble areas. When I came here, Uzo-Uwani Local Government was also a problem area where they used to have perennial cases of farmers and herders clashes. But today, it is a thing of the past.
“What I did was that we had to sit down with other heads of security agencies. We were able to come up with an idea of getting a camp there, and with the support of His Excellency, the Executive Governor and the Chairman of that Local Government, they were able to provide a camp where detachment of policemen, soldiers, neighbourhood watch, forest guards are camped.
“And the welfare of the personnel involved in this operation is being taken care of by the State government. In conjunction with the local government, they have motorcycles.
“There is always fuel for them to use to patrol the farming area, thereby giving the farmers the confidence because that area is a fertile area for farming activities.
“So the provision of these motorcycles to ease mobility, and the creating of access roads into that general area, it has assisted greatly.
“So since we are able to deploy our personnel to that place, that area has been calm,” he stated.
With the Christmas and New Year festive periods fast approaching, CP Giwa assured that it is going to be very peaceful in the State.
“I’ve already prepared my operation, and I’ve already forwarded a copy to the Force Headquarters and all the appropriate offices that need to know. My officers have already briefed them.
“They all know their responsibilities, and we will stop at nothing until we achieve a very reasonable low crime rate in the State. In fact, we don’t even want it to crop up.
“I think yesterday we were able to arrest four armed robbers. We have recovered some arms from them, and it will continue like that. So if anybody wants to come to enjoy his Christmas and New Year, the ground is set, they can start coming.
“If you look at it, if you visit the International Conference Centre, you will discover that beautiful work has been done there by the State government.
“And there’s a hotel that’s springing up there. The presidential hotel that was moribund, it has been renovated, and I think activities are lined up there.
“My officers and men and I are all aware that they have to be on their toes, and they don’t have any option. I lead from the front. They see me. They know that I will not take any excuse. So they are also on their toes.
“I’m assuring all the good citizens of this country, if they want to come and enjoy in Enugu, we are there to provide the security for them to come and enjoy their stay in Enugu.”
On the impact the administration of the Inspector General Police has had on the State, the CP said “The Inspector General of Police has assisted me greatly in terms of giving the Command arms and ammunition, and support for training programs.
“Before I came, he gave approval for deployment of 300 transfer of personnel from other States to this Enugu State of which they have started reporting.
“And even with the little we have, we maximise their use.
“We have been learning a lot from him. If any CP learns from him, I don’t think he will falter. So that is what has been keeping us moving.”
Also, speaking on how well the Governor has been supporting the Command, he said, “You can see vehicles everywhere. The DRS vehicles, especially, and those vehicles, are being fueled by the State government. The allowances are being paid to them directly. The State Government has been up to date about paying all this, and there are other things.
“In fact, during the training program, he assisted with resources for the feeding of these trainees. And, I’m also making arrangement to ensure that the recruits that will soon pass out from the Police College, I intend to train them on combat operations.
“Because the areas we are going to deploy them, they know what is obtainable there. So what we need to do is to train them properly, immediately they come out from the training College.
“I’ve already prepared their minds. I went to the College. I’ve lectured all of them and what they should expect when they come out, and I know we are going to give them the best training so as to make them fit and be able to discharge their duties as constables. So that is it. ”
He added, “We held stakeholders meeting where I told them to tell me the way it is, that I don’t believe in eye service. Anything I’m not doing right, they should let me know so that I can correct it.
“It was during that interaction, during the town hall meeting, that they made a pledge to me that all the supports I require, they will give it to me.
“And since then, they have been cooperating with me. I’ve been getting the required intelligence information from them, so to speak, I take those information, the ones that are worth working with.”
CP Giwa also declared that his tenure has been able to put a stop to the issue of corruption and harassment.
“The NBA conference, they came from different parts of the country. They will attest to that.
“If you have lawyers that were here, ask them, they will tell you. I told my officers and men anywhere I met them that they must police with emotional intelligence. Those that have tried to do otherwise, a lot of them are standing trial.
“Some of them their trial have been completed, various punishments have been awarded to them. So they know that we are not here to play.
“We have our regulations. We have our Force Orders. We have our Force Administrative Instructions.
So they are doing well. My officers and men are doing well.”
He promised to continue to give the State governor his best, just as he hoped for His Excellency, to also continue to give him the desired cooperation and support.
Stressing that the Governor is passionate about the people and security in the State, he added “In fact, if a crime is committed, it gives him a sleepless night, and His Excellency is somebody that if I want to see him, even at 2am, 3am if I call him, he’s there to receive me.
“In fact, even if His Excellency is in the State Executive Council meeting, once I call him, he must hear me out. Sometimes, he takes excuses during the meeting and listens to me. Why? Because he’s so passionate about the security of the State and the good people of Enugu State, and even those that are not from here.
“They call me even from the diaspora to appreciate what we are doing here. They see the direction I’ve taken. They know that I’m a no-nonsense person. And even the criminals, they know if they try me, I will give them a bloody nose,” he stated.
