As part of activities marking the National Police Week, the Commissioner of Police, Borno State Command, Lawal Yusuf, on Saturday led officers and men of the command on a fitness walk to demonstrate the physical and psychological readiness of the force to tackle crime in the State.

The week-long Police Week kicked off with a town hall meeting, sanitation exercise, and free medical outreach for members of the public at the busy business areas of Post Office and Monday Market in Maiduguri.

Saturday’s walk exercise, which began at the Police Headquarters in Maiduguri, passed through Government House, Al Ansar, Lagos Street, Monday Market, Post Office, and returned to the Police Headquarters.

The exercise lasted over three hours and covered approximately 20 kilometers.

To energize the officers and add color to the event, the police band provided music and songs throughout the walk.

Speaking shortly after the exercise, Lawal Yusuf said, “This walking exercise is to reassure the people of Borno State that we are fit physically, psychologically, and combat-ready to reduce crime by 50%, in line with the vision of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).”

The Commissioner explained that the exercise was part of the events commemorating Police Week, which was instituted last year when the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, hosted the first IGP Awards and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to approve the first week of April as Police Week, with April 7th declared National Police Day.

“The President graciously approved the request, which is why all commands across the country were directed to observe the week.

“We started with a Town Hall meeting on April 2nd, where we interacted with the public, followed by a sanitation exercise and medical outreach. Today, we completed the fitness walk. On the 7th, we will converge in Abuja for the National Police Day, to be hosted by the IGP himself,” he said.

Speaking further, Lawal said the Town Hall meeting provided a platform for citizens to express their views on police performance, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen public-police collaboration.

“You know, our IGP is people-centric. By the time we mark the next Police Week, all issues and challenges identified would be addressed accordingly,” he added.

The Commissioner commended the IGP for his purposeful leadership and wisdom, and also lauded the Borno State Government under Governor Babagana Zulum for its continuous support to the police.

He assured that the police will continue to work hard to combat crime and align with the state government’s resettlement agenda.

He also appreciated the media for their partnership and called for sustained collaboration in the collective effort to reduce crime in the state and the country at large.