The Benue State’s new Commissioner of Police, Emenari Innocent, has taken over duties with a firm pledge to boost security through stronger community engagement and collaboration.
The state command’s spokesperson, Catherine Anene, noted this in a statement issued to journalists in Makurdi on Monday.
According to Anene, CP Emenari Innocent is committed to strengthening partnerships and community policing strategies in order to better protect lives and properties in Benue State, especially in the face of growing insecurity.
CP Emenari brings with him decades of experience in policing, having joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992. Over the years, he has served in many important roles, including his time as Unit Commander in several Police Mobile Force (PMF) units across the country.
Between 1996 and 1999, he worked with the 27 PMF in Katsina State, moved to lead the 29 PMF in Awka, Anambra State from 1999 to 2002, and then headed the 11 PMF in Calabar, Cross River State from 2002 to 2003.
His career has taken him to numerous parts of Nigeria, including Zamfara, Imo, Katsina, Anambra, Calabar, Osun, Ogun, Abia, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Before his current assignment, he served as the Commissioner of Police, Force Provost Marshal.
The statement read in part, “Benue State Police Command delighted to inform the general public that CP Emenari Ifeanyi Innocent, PhD., psc., mnips., has assumed duty as the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police Command.”
CP Emenari, originally from Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, has a strong academic background. He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Jos and later earned a Master’s degree and PhD in Literature in English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
In addition to his local experience, Emenari has represented Nigeria on international missions. He served as a Contingent Commander for the Nigeria Police during the United Nations Mission in Sudan, worked as an Operations Officer at the Joint Operation Center in Khartoum, and later became Deputy Security Advisor in Eastern Equatorial State, South Sudan in 2012.
His leadership journey also includes his time as Commandant of the Police College of Information Technology in Abeokuta and as Area Commander of the Akwete Area Command in Abia State, among several other positions.
The statement further noted, “Emenari has undergone extensive training, including Unit Combat Course PMF training, Armoured Personnel Carrier Course, PMF Training School, Gwoza and the Strategic Leadership and Command Course (SLCC) at the National Institute of Police Studies, Abuja in 2020.”
