Police officers brazenly commit crimes on Nigeria streets
Bold journalism is strategic to the ending Nigerian police excesses. Bauchi police commissioner sought that form of journalism when he visited journalists in the state.
Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ladan, on Monday called on journalists in the state to expose any police officer found collecting money at security check points.
Mr. Ladan made the call in Bauchi when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, Dahiru Garba.
He said he had severally warned police officers against extortion on the highways and urged journalists to help the command in exposing such policemen.
Mr. Ladan said the media and the police must work closely to combat crime and criminality in the state.
The commissioner said that he would cooperate with the media, saying his doors would always be open for any inquiry on the operations of the command.
“The Press and the Police should work together as a team and there should also be an exchange of useful information between us.
“There is also the need for reciprocity between the police and the press, as we cannot work without contributions of journalists,” he said.
Responding, the NUJ chairman assured that the union would continue to cooperate with the police to ease peace and order in the state.
He said it is part of the civic responsibilities of journalists and all well-meaning people to aid security agencies with useful information to make the society safer to live in, especially as the nation was facing serious security challenges.
“Journalists are key stakeholders in the fight against crime and criminality.
“The police should enlighten its personnel in the lower ranks on how Journalists operate, so that they will appreciate our job and allow us to perform our duties,” he said.
Culled from Premium Times