Insecurity: Buhari Gives Approval For Recruitment Of 60,000 Policemen In Six Years

President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for the recruitment of 60,000 policemen over the next six years to boost the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

This was disclosed on Wednesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.

The IGP explained that the presidential approval instructed that 10,000 policemen be recruited into the force per year until the target of 60,000 is met.

He added that in fulfillment of the directive, there are already plans to recruit no fewer than 20,000 police personnel between now and 2022.

IGP Baba made the disclosure during his one-day working visit to the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.

In his words, “President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for us to recruit 10,000 police personnel every year for six years. We have started but we have not done for 2020.

“So we are doing for 2020 and 2021 between now and the end of the year. Their training is for six months. Latest by the end of 2021 our strength is expected to increase by 20,000.

On the general insecurity in Nigeria, the IGP stated that the Police alone is not fighting the war but it’s a collaborative effort between all security agencies in the country.

He added that progress is being made and victory is assured.

“Police is not fighting the war against banditry and other crimes alone. All other security agencies in synergy are fighting the bandits, including the military which is leading the war and we are winning,” he stated.

Speaking earlier when he received the IGP at the state command, the Kwara Police Commissioner Emienbo Assayomo lamented the challenges been faced, observing that the Command is grossly understaffed with just about 3,500 operatives.

He added that the Kwara Command has no functional Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) at the moment and has to deal with security challenges such as kidnapping and banditry.

He said: “Kwara state police Command has establishment strength of 8,000, but today, the personnel strength is less than 3,500. The Command as at present has no serviceable armoured personnel carriers (APCs), because the two we have are still undergoing repairs in Sagamu, Ogun State.

“The State has its fair share of security challenges like kidnapping, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cultism, boundary disputes, communal clashes, migration of people from the crisis-ridden states to Kwara state, the state has become crime-prone.

“The concern of Kwarans today is that they do not enter Kwara State through this ungoverned reserve forest in the Northern part of the State, hence my subtle request to the IGP to graciously order for the return of our Mobile Policemen currently on special duty in the states outside Kwara so as to help strengthen the security of the State.

“Kwara State is called the state of Harmony but with her fair share of security challenges like kidnapping, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cultism, boundary disputes, communal clashes, migration of people from the crisis-ridden states to Kwara state, the state has become crime-prone.

“Kwara State has three senatorial districts; the North Senatorial district has an international border with Republic of Benin in Baruten Local Government area which makes the area vulnerable to cross-boundary crimes like smuggling and human trafficking. Kaiama Local Government Area of the state has a large ungoverned forest reserve that stretches to Borgu local government area of Niger state, which also makes the place a bandit rendezvous.”