Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has approved the allocation of land to the Zone 16 Command of the Nigeria Police Force for the construction of its permanent headquarters and residential quarters.
Diri gave the approval on Tuesday when the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Johnson Adenola, led a delegation including the state Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, on a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa.
Responding to Adenola’s request, the governor directed the Ministry of Lands and Survey, alongside the Secretary to the State Government, to work with the command to provide a suitable parcel of land.
He noted that having the zonal headquarters which oversees Bayelsa and Rivers states sited in Yenagoa was a source of pride and had improved security in the state.
“For five years, you have been operating from a temporary office provided by the government. Your request for land is granted. I have instructed the Commissioner for Lands and Survey and the SSG to liaise with the command to allocate a befitting site in Yenagoa,” Diri announced.
He commended the new AIG for acknowledging his concerns about the proliferation of police checkpoints, stressing that such roadblocks had not been effective in tackling crime.
Instead, he urged security agencies to focus on intelligence-driven, non-kinetic strategies.
“My administration has deployed technology, including CCTV cameras across the capital and drones, to monitor and prevent crime. It is better to avert crime than to react with guns after it happens,” the governor said.
Earlier in his remarks, AIG Adenola, who assumed duty last month as the 11th head of Zone 16, expressed appreciation to the state government for its continuous support.
He pledged loyalty to the governor’s peace and security agenda and assured that the command would promote people-friendly, law-abiding policing.
