The new Kano State Commissioner of Police, Sumaila Dikko, has assured that the agency would not allow the ongoing industrial action by tricycle operators in the state, which is impeding movement of commuters, to disrupt the prevailing peaceful environment for doing business.
The commissioner’s assurance is coming on the heels of a near breakdown of law and order which the state was thrown into on Monday by the violent activities of commercial tricycle operators who have suspended their operations indefinitely.
The near breakdown of law and order was triggered by an unresolved dispute between the tricycle operators and the personnel of the Kano State Road Transport Agency (KAROTA) over the enforcement of a new levy imposed on them by the state government.
Responding to enquiries by BusinessDay on the development during a news conference, Dikko said that at the moment the police command was on top of the situation.
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“I want to use this occasion to assure all the citizens of the state, especially businesses, that the Kano State Police Command under my leadership is fully alive to its responsibility of protecting lives and property,” Dikko said.
“You know that I just arrived in the state two days ago, and my coming is being baptized with this incident. I have been fully briefed on the situation, and I want to let every resident know that we will not allow the situation to get out of control,” he said.
Commenting on the strategic moves being deployed to curtail the situation, Dikko, who was redeployed recently from Adamawa State, said he was working with other sister security agencies to manage the situation.
He also disclosed that his command was engaging the leadership of the tricycle riders in a discussion that would lead to amicable resolution of the crisis.
“As you know, the crisis is not between the police and the tricycle riders, it is between KAROTA and them. What we are simply doing was to help resolve it.
“And we want everybody to know that we will not allow it to pose a threat to the peaceful co-existence which the state is enjoying,” he said.
In order to ensure that the state remains secure, Dikko promised to continue with the various measures put in place by his predecessor, particularly working with relevant stakeholders.
“I want the people of the state to know that the Kano State Command of the police under my command will be working with all the stakeholders in order to achieve our objective of keeping the state more secure.
“Just like my predecessor did, our operations shall be intelligence driven. We are also going to police the state according to international core value and integrity. We are going to protect human rights as well as emphasise community policing,” he said.
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