The new Commissioner of Police for Abia State, Mustapha Bala, formally assumed duty on Friday.

Mr Bala took over from Janet Agbede, who was recently promoted to an Assistant Inspector-General of Police and posted to Police Staff College, Jos.

In an interview with journalists, the new police boss charged officers of the command to double their efforts toward crime reduction in the state.

He urged them to shun acts capable of putting the command in bad light before members of the public.

He promised that the command under his watch would give priority to their welfare, in order to get the best of them.

Mr Bala also promised to sustain the collaboration between the command and other sister-security agencies to ensure adequate security for lives and property of residents.

He assured them that he would initiate proactive steps to tackle banditry and kidnapping in the state, especially around the Umunneochi axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

“I want to assure you that security would be beefed up around the flashpoints for banditry and kidnapping,” Mr Bala said.

He, however, advised  criminal elements in the state to relocate out of Abia or be prepared to be decimated by his crack team.

Mr Bala was among the 43 senior police officers recently promoted to the rank of Commissioners of Police by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.

(NAN)