By Adewole Kehinde
“Yellow journalism should be illegal. They invade the lives of innocent people and evoke inexistent situations with the aim of preserving evil for profit. They can’t find anything, and they construct” – Maria Karvouni
My attention was drawn to a publication in Sahara Reporters titled “EXCLUSIVE: Ogun Commissioner of Police Orders Area Commanders To Raise Funds For ‘Logistics, Transportation’ Of Personnel Deployed For Kogi Election Despite Budgetary Allocation.”
It is a well-known fact that the Federal Government of Nigeria always made a budget for the Nigeria Police, as a total of N64 billion was approved for the Nigeria Police Force as an operations fund for security management for the 2023 general elections.
Aside from this, the Force Headquarters has dispatched anti-riot weapons, water cannons, and armoured personnel carriers, among others, to the 3 states conducting governorships on Saturday, November 11, 2023, to ensure watertight security during the elections.
It sounds so ridiculous for a so-called media outfit to say that CP Abiodun Alamutu, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, has asked all the area commanders to contribute funds for the conveyance of personnel from the command deployed for the Kogi State governorship poll.
I listened to the Inspector General of Police in Owerri at the closing ceremony of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers when he said all personnel for the election have been deployed and all their welfare has been taken care of.
This is a good development, and it is welcomed as it will boost the morale of officers and men in the police. This will enable the police to be the primary agency for election security, to manage election security properly, and enable them to prevent crimes and apprehend troublemakers.
I am a journalist who has been following the activities of the Nigeria Police for years. I have never witnessed a Commissioner of Police order area commanders to raise funds for national assignments, such as state elections.
The welfare of police personnel has been the highest priority of IGP Kayode Egbetokun. As far as Saturday, November 11, 2023, is concerned, it has been well taken care of by the Federal Government.
I doubt if a superintendent of police and a divisional police officer could say to the media that area commanders have been mandated to contribute money to convey personnel nominated for the Kogi State election.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Abiodun Alamutu, whom I know, will never tell his personnel to raise money for logistics and transportation from Ogun to Kogi State for the national assignment.
To show how mischievous Sahara Reporters are, the reporter contacted Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, who denied that the Commissioner gave such a directive, yet Sahara Reporters still went ahead to publish the fake news.
I am aware that despite the number of vehicles available to the police personnel on election duties, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has also ordered the distribution of additional 220 operational vehicles, including water cannons, armoured personnel carriers, helmets, bulletproof vests, tear gas canisters, etc., to the 3 affected states to intensify security arrangements for the elections.
The Nigeria Police, under the leadership of IGP Kayode Egbetokun, will remain focused and ensure that the welfare of its personnel remains a top priority.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached at 08166240846, email: kennyadewole@gmail.com
