President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for the recruitment of 10,000 police personnel across the country for the next six years.
The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba disclosed this on Wednesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital North Central Nigeria while answering questions from newsmen shortly after addressing officers and men of the command at the police headquarters.
The police boss who is on a one day working visit to the state disclosed the recruitment for 2020 and 2021 will be carried out simultaneously this year and would involve employing twenty thousand personnel.
According to him , the rationale behind such massive recruitment into the police force by the present administration is to further strengthen the force so as to address squarely the present security challenges facing the country and to tackle the prevalent shortage of manpower.
He announced that after such recruitment is completed and the personnel are well trained, they would be posted to their states of origin where they are already familiar with the terrain to curb all acts of criminality.
Answering another question, the Inspector General of Police said the battle against insurgency, banditry and kidnapping is not being fought and won by the police alone but by all the security operatives across the country through synergy.
While addressing the cross section of the rank and file of the police, Baba- Alkali who said Kwara is the thirteenth state he would be visiting since he assumed office assured them that their welfare particularly their pension package and other emoluments would be improved upon and announced soon as the Federal Government has already set up a committee to ensure it’s full implementation.
He warned the police to guide against all acts of corruption and bribe taken urging them to be morally upright in the discharge of their duties and also cautioned them not to be envious of one another and remain loyal to the constituted authority.
The IGP also challenged them to rededicate themselves for efficient and effective service delivery so as to instill more confidence in the policing profession.
The Inspector General, who described the rank and file as ambassadors of the Force in crime prevention, assured that the Force Headquarters would support them in the course of their lawful assignments.
Baba-Alkali, who disclosed that Kwara State as one of the most peaceful States in the Federation called on officers and men of the Command to be upright and do more in crime prevention and control.
Speaking earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Amienbo Tuesday Asanyanmo lamented that shortage of manpower has seriously affected effective policing in the state and pleaded with the Inspector General to redeploy more personel to the command so as to further strengthen security in the State.
Mr Asanyanmo expressed appreciation to the IG for prompt response to the needs of the Command at all times, especially the drafting of his team from Abuja and other local security operatives which led to the rescue of a three hundred level student of the Kwara State University, Malete and the arrest of the abductors recently in the state.
The Inspector General of Police also paid a courtesy visit to the state governor, Mallam AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq at the Government House, Ilorin and a traditional homage to the Emir if Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari at Emir’s Palace where he appreciated the traditional ruler for his support for his men in reducing crime to the barest minimum in his domain.
The Emir who praised the efforts of the police boss in curbing crime within his shortest period in office urged him to ensure that the police are well equipped with modern and sophisticated weapons and their welfare well taken care off so that they would deal squarely will banditry, armed robbery and kidnapping. View pictures below:
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