The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba, has disclosed that the next recruitment by the Nigeria Police Force will cut across 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria and upon completion of their training, the new intakes would be redeployed to their various communities.
Police IG, disclosed this in Ilorin, kwara state capital on Wednesday 15th of September 2021, during one day working visit to the state.
He said the police high command will recruit no fewer than 10,000 personnel every year for six years, adding that the recruitment had commenced.
“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,” Baba stated”
He added that “the personnel will be recruited from the 774 local government areas of the country, adding that upon completion of their training, the new intakes would be redeployed to their various states of origin”
Police Boss added that, it would enhance effective policing “as only the people that understand a terrain or a society can man security effectively in such society.”
Earlier, in his remarks, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Tuesday Assayomo, said that the command is understaffed with just about 3,500 police officers under his command.
“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,” Assayomo stated
In the same development, the Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, also called for increased presence of policemen and other security officials in the state to fortify the state and enhance its socio-economic development.
“Our challenges are enormous. Being a relatively safe state, security agencies tend to be comfortable with Kwara and that explains why they often take out forces from Kwara to bolster security elsewhere. For example, the Army has taken out most of their men to Northeast and we are making efforts to get them back. For the police, our need requirement is about 8,000-10,000 men but we have only about 3,000 now. Many officers of the two mobile squadrons here have been moved out. I am saying this because we definitely need more men on ground here,” AbdulRazaq said when he received the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba at the presidential lodge in Ilorin.
“The recent ban on grazing by Southern Governors and some security issues in our neighbouring states have resulted in influx of internally displaced persons to Kwara. In many parts of some of our villages, the communities are outnumbered by those that are coming in. This is a state of harmony and people are welcome but this (influx) is clearly overstretching the manpower of the Nigeria Police which is the primary agency for internal security. From Kwara North to Kwara South, it is an enormous task for them, so we definitely need and seek more hands.”
AbdulRazaq also called for improved collaboration among security agencies to sustain relative peace in the state, with the traditional rulers equally playing vital roles in strengthening security architecture.
“There is no chance for criminalities in the state because of the nature of security architecture in the state. We also involve and encourage our traditional rulers to work with the security agencies by providing actionable intelligence for use,”
“We thank the Police authorities for the Police School in Ballah and the Intelligence School in Share. In fact, we had to put a transformer there few months ago to make sure we get the place working. But we are saddened by the relocation of Police Public Relations School that was here in Ilorin before. We hope you will look into that again and return it.” Governor AbdulRasaq said.
