Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will recruit 50 constables for each of the 774 local government areas of the country, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, has said.
These will be over 40,000 constables across the country. The IGP spoke yesterday in Enugu while kick-starting the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV). The campaign is to be spread across the country.
Adamu, represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) incharge of Zone 9, Mr Baba Tijini, said the Federal Government was focused on getting all stakeholders to fight insecurity in the land.
He said: “I want all Nigerians to key into this programme for the overall reduction of crime in all communities in the country.
“We want to engage and work together with local citizens to easily identify security threats and proffer local solutions to them.
“To this end, Federal Government wants to strengthen community police efforts of NPF with the recruitment of 40,000 community police Constables.
“Each of the 774 local government areas in the country will have a minimum of 50 constables to strengthen security at the local level.
“It will also involve engaging community-based organisations, groups and institutions to see that it works for the better of all.”
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Mr Abubakar Maikobi, who spoke for the security chiefs in the state, assured IGP of continuous support of the security agencies to the campaign.
Maikobi, who was represented by the 82 Division Garrison Commander, Mr Sylvester Oloyede, noted that the synergy among security agencies in Enugu State and other parts of the country had continued to yield positive results.
He said: “IGP should rest assured that he would get our unwavering support towards this campaign to ensure that it succeeds.”
Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP) Team Leader Mrs Kemi Okenyodo said the launch of POCACOV was a demonstration of the commitment of NPF to adopt community policing as a security strategy.
“The joint identification of societal problems and cross sectorial consultation in a bid to allow the development of local solutions to local problems that have been identified by the society is a key message from the police to all stakeholders present in here today,” she said.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi hailed IGP for choosing Enugu to launch the campaign.
The governor noted that it would reform life-style of erring youths and future leaders.
Ugwuanyi, represented by Head of Service (HoS), Mr Chidi Ezema, recalled the achievements Adamu in security matters recorded when he was the state’s police commissioner.
He said: “It was during your time as commissioner of police here that POCACOV was initiated by you and the state started to be ranked as the most peaceful in the country.
“The state government will continue to support the activities of the police to ensure that the state remains safe and secure while protecting the future of our children.
“I must commend efforts of police and other security agencies for stemming insecurity in the state, especially the recent rescue of one of our permanent secretaries unhurt from the hands of abductors.”
The Nation
