IG: Insurgency Has Claimed 90,000 Police Officers in Four Years

Inspector General Of Police-Mr Solomon Arase

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Solomon Arase, on Wednesday said about 90,000 police officers and men of the force have lost their lives since the insurgency started four years ago.

Arase made the disclosure to journalists shortly after addressing men and officers at the police command headquarters in Sokoto.

He stated that the police had a record of about 90,000 widows who lost their husbands since the insurgency began in the North-east.

According to him, the Nigeria Police Force had initiated a scheme to cater for the family of officers who lost their lives while on duty in the North-east.

The IG disclosed that a scholarship scheme had been set up to take care of the children of slain officers.

“We have incorporated a scholarship scheme for the children of our officers who lost their lives in the North-east. This is to ensure that they continue with their studies so as to enable them achieve their potential,” Arase stated.

He noted that the total number of men and officers in the police force were currently inadequate to effectively protect the lives and property of the citizens.

Arase to this end, said efforts were being made to recruit more personnel to further enhance the activities of the police in crime prevention and boosting security.

He stated that the police in conjunction with the United Nations Habitat were making arrangements to build 25,000 houses for officers, inspectors and rank and file across Nigeria.

The IG said this was part of efforts to provide housing for men and officers of the police so that they would have a place to live after retirement.

While reiterating his commitment to the welfare of men and officers, Arase charged them to rededicate themselves to their duties by shunning corruption.

“It is true that our numeric strength is not sufficient but we are going to bring in more people. What I am emphasising is that every Nigerian should be security conscious, and that is the most important thing,” he said.

The IG stated that President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to address the problems of the Nigeria Police Force.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting with traditional, religious and opinion leaders, unions, associations and the civil society organisations in Sokoto, Arase maintained that the present administration was making frantic efforts to transform the police.

He noted that some of these problems included the dilapidation of police training schools, residential and office accommodation and other problems inhibiting the officers and men of the force from performing their constitutional duties diligently.
Arase said the police would continue to provide adequate vehicles for patrols, money for fuelling of the vehicles, incentives for  officers on patrols and  ensure a life insurance scheme for its officers and men.

According to him, the ban on road blocks is still in force, while officers and men would conduct stop and search operations in the case of any security alerts across the nation.

He described the traditional institutions as crucial stakeholders in ensuring the security of lives and property of Nigerians, saying they were the hub of security even during the colonial era.

Arase promised to do his best to give Nigerians a police force that respects the rights of the citizens.

“We will do everything to win your hearts as the police force exists because of the people. The officers and men of the force are also Nigerians who will return back to the various communities to live as civilians after retiring from active service.

“So,  we will do our best to make sure that Nigerians are fully protected and within the ambit of the law,’’ he added.

While receiving the IG, the state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said to effectively provide adequate security to its teeming population, Nigeria should decentralise its police force and allow state police.

Tambuwal said even though some governors in the North have in the past kicked against state police, present realities on ground indicate that the model is the best way to go.

He said several states in the federation now have various security outfits whose functions overlap with that of the police.

He said while serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2011 to May this year, the legislature had supported the move even though the exercise has not seen the light of the day.

“I believe it is time we reopen the debate considering the huge security challenges confronting the federation and how local expertise, if properly deployed, can be of great help to securing our communities,” Tambuwal added.

While advising the IG to set up a department of community policing that will tap from the experience of the local communities whose familiarity with their environments in unrivaled, Tambuwal assured of his administration’s support to the force to enable it succeed.

Earlier in his remarks, Arase said he was in Sokoto to familiarise with the officers and men in the state command. He sought the cooperation and assistance of Sokoto state government in the provision of logistic support to the force.

Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Salisu Fagge, said the Command recovered 427 cows and 90 sheep while 14 suspects were arrested and charged to court since the clampdown on rustlers started July in 2015.

He added that the command also acquired 76 hectares of land at Achida for the construction of a housing scheme for both serving and retired police officers and men in the state.