Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, has directed that policemen across the country work eight hours daily to curtail work-related stress to reduce the misuse of firearms and extra judicial killings.

Shift duty structure of Nigeria police is currently a 12-hour, two shifts system against the eight hours three shift standard.

Adamu gave the directive at the opening of a two-day Conference of Heads of Police Medical Facilities on Thursday in Abuja.

The theme of the conference is: ‘Stay Healthy To Secure the Nation’.

“I have ordered that with immediate effect, the shift duty structure of Nigeria police which is currently a 12-hour, two-shifts system should be reverted to the traditional eight-hours, three-shift standard.

“For purpose of clarity, henceforth, no personnel should be made to perform any duty exceeding 8-hours within a space of 24 hours unless there is local or national emergency,” he said.

He said that this new system would reduce cases of misuse of firearms and other misconduct by policemen caused by stress.

The police boss said the only time the duty structure would exceed eight hours was during local or national emergency.

Adamu said policing was a highly demanding job physically, mentally and psychologically.

He explained that the directive was specifically given to address a major age-long occupational stress which long hours of duty engenders among personnel of the police.

Adamu urged the police medical services to complete the leadership of the force by striving to guarantee a healthy work life of officers.

He charged personnel of the unit to continue to discharge their duty with high sense of commitment and responsibility.

Earlier, Mrs Obembe Modupe, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Medical, said there was a need to evaluate the mental conditions of candidates during recruitment.

She also called for mandatory, periodic and regular assessment of the health resilience of officers during training and while in service.

Modupe said this measures would reduce the prevalence of sudden deaths and misuse of firearms contrary to section 237 of the Police Act and Regulation.

NAN