EXCLUSIVE: Lagos Catholic Archbishop Urge Police Personnel to Improve on Image

IG OF POLICE, MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR 

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Diocese, His Grace,  Most Rev. Adewale Martins, weekend urged the Nigerian Police personnel to improve on their image by working according to the ethics of their profession.

The archbishop made this call during the inauguration of St. Anthony’s Police Catholic Chaplaincy, built by the officers and men of the police at Highway Patrol Barrack, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, under the leadership of the Parish Priest, Rev. Paul Omotosho, an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

Some dignitaries present were the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, a Former Commissioner of Police,  Mr Columbus Okaro (rtd) and CEO Kezbon International Limited, High Chief Godwin Nwabuko, amongst others. 

At the occasion which also doubled as a celebration of his one year in office, he noted that although the police operate in a very difficult terrain, they should however expedite actions within the ambits of the law.

He said, "Sometimes, the police operate in a very difficult terrain especially in terms of inadequate resources with which to work or the welfare package which are not good for police operation. 

"All of these constitute part of the environment the police work. However, it also remains for the officers even within the limited resources to carry out their professional duties in such a way within the ethics of the profession.

"They should do this so that the kind of perception members of the public have about them become better and better daily. Also, police officers’ children should shun violence and follow Jesus."

Martins who had stormed the venue with the Episcopal Vicar of Ikeja Region, Rt Rev. Kingsley Aniagwu,  had also lent his voice to the cry against early marriage for the girl child.

While describing the issue as very upsetting, he stressed the need for the lawmakers to look at the resolution again, with a view to do what Nigerians want.

He said, "We have been told that the point the senate are deliberating is the stage at which a girl becomes an adult. But it gets so closely to the issue of early marriage in young women.

"That is why everybody is very very upset that the provision of the law was not expunged. We expect a country where young children are given opportunity to health and education, rather than giving them out to early marriage.

"Early marriages makes them susceptible to such thing as VVF that happen to young women, because of their bodies not prepared for baby making but they were forced to do it."