From: Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
In a bold move to reshape the security architecture of Sokoto State, Commissioner of Police, CP, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, has convened maiden Strategic Security Conference, charging senior officers to embrace proactive policing, absolute discipline, and robust community partnership as non-negotiable pillars of modern law enforcement.
The landmark conference, which brought together command management team,Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), and tactical team leaders, emphasized that the era of reactive policing must give way to intelligence-led operations and visible, trust-based engagement with the public.
He warned officers against misconduct, extortion, abuse of power and negligence of duty.
He said such act will attract severe sanctions, as such actions undermine public trust and endanger national security.
Others were: Visibility Within the Metro & Visiting Rounds: Commanders are mandated to maintain constant visibility in metropolitan areas and conduct unscheduled visiting rounds to outposts and patrol teams to ensure operational readiness and deter complacency.
On Intelligence-led Policing, Shaffa said that all units must prioritize the gathering, analysis, and tactical application of intelligence to preempt crime rather than merely responding to incidents.
On the Rule of Law, the CP added that every operation must strictly adhere to the rule of law, with zero tolerance for extrajudicial actions or human rights violations.
Shaffa cautioned against uncivil conduct toward citizens, as respectful interaction is the bedrock of voluntary information sharing and public cooperation.
He further directed for timely, accurate, and detailed SITREPs must be submitted without delay to enable command-level strategic decisions.
On Identification of Black Spots, the CP directed DPOs to immediately identify and map all criminal black spots within their Areas of Responsibility (AOR) and deploy targeted interventions.
On Stakeholder Engagement on Community Policing, he said, “DPOs must regularly engage traditional rulers, youth leaders, traders, and religious figures within their AOR to co-create local security solutions.”
Addressing the gathering, Cp reiterated that “Officers must always do the right thing at the right time not when it is convenient, not when they are being watched, but always. Discipline and integrity are the currency of public trust.”
