Just fired Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has offered his apologies to those people he may have offended in the course of performing his duties, stating that it was all the nature of the job.

Mr. Abba, who was fired yesterday by outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan, offered his omnibus apologies in remarks he made today while officially handing over to the new acting Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase. The hand-over took place at the police headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Mr. Suleiman appeared visibly sober and remorseful as he spoke in an emotion-laden voice. He disclosed that he regretted his actions and inactions during his tenure in office. He described the appointment of Mr. Arase as the acting police boss as a well-deserved honor. He also urged the management team, senior officers as well as rank and file police officers to support the new acting Inspector General of Police to move the force to a greater height.

He expressed gratitude to God for sustaining him during his period in office and for enabling him to leave the office in good health. He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity to serve during his administration, particularly for conducting peaceful general elections that were adjudged as credible, free and fair.

The former IGP called on the police to carry out their duties with diligence without fear or favor in the conduct of run-off elections in three states.

In his inaugural speech, Mr. Arase stated that, apart from routine operations, the police have two major national assignments where their professional expertise and commitment will once again be subjected to national and international scrutiny. He said the first challenge has to do with the holding of governorship elections in areas where the polling results were declared inconclusive by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo, Abia and Taraba States. The second challenge for the police, according to the acting IG, is to ensure hitch-free presidential, governorship and national as well as state assembly inauguration ceremonies.

Mr. Arase promised to work closely with INEC and other strategic stakeholders to ensure violence-free elections in affected states. He also assured Nigerians of their safety, adding that police officers would be instructed to treat all citizens with civility and to hold citizens’ human rights as sacred.

“Toward this end, a strategic police vision document which encapsulates intelligence-led policing, community partnership, restorative justice, re-assurance policing and healthy respect for human rights will be developed in due course,” said the acting IG.