TheCable

Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, wants President Muhammadu Buhari to prosecute all those found guilty of corruption.

Delivering a key note address during a security conference organised by the Sun newspapers and the police in Abuja on Monday, the traditional ruler pledged support for the anti-corruption stance of the current administration.

Abubakar is a member of the national peace committee which met with Buhari last week.

There have been reports that the committee is trying to discourage the federal government from probing the activities of the past government.

But Abubakar has come out to make his own position known.

“All found culpable of corruption should not only forfeit their assets but should go to jail,” he said.

“I am fully in support of the fight against corruption in this country.”

He also called for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

“Traditional and religious leaders, community leaders and indeed the entire citizenry, must rise with unity of purpose and action to ensure that the suspicion and the mistrust of the past give way to mutual trust and understanding among our people,” he said.

On his part, Solomon Arase, the inspector-general of police, appealed for adequate funding of the Nigeria police to ensure operational efficiency.

Arase said it was only through adequate funding that the huge logistic demand of the police can be met.

He noted that modern policing was a cost-intensive venture of which the benefits far outweigh the value of budgetary investment.

“Through effective funding, the welfare needs of police personnel will be met and the challenge of corruption that has eroded professionalism and public respect for police will be addressed,” he said.

He called for the resuscitation and passage of the bill on police trust fund pending before the national assembly to give effect to public-police partnership.

The bill seeks to tax corporate entities to complement the federal government in funding the police.

Arase maintained that if passed, the funding challenges of the police would have been addressed on a sustainable basis.

He said the security challenges in the country and inadequate manpower would be best addressed through citizens-driven policing model.

“This model will address the manpower deficiency challenge in the Nigeria Police as every citizen plays the role of a police officer,” he said.