FG recruits 40,000 police officers in 4 years – Buhari

The Federal Government says it has recruited 40,000 police officers in the past four years, in an effort to re-energise and improve the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to tackle increasing security challenges in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed this while declaring open a two-day conference and retreat for senior police officers, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Tuesday.

Buhari, represented by the minister of police affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, said the government also granted assent to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act and carried out an upward review of salaries and allowances of the rank and file, in a bid to boost morale in the force.

Other measures implemented to improve the force’s service delivery, according to the president, include the establishment of a task force on the assessment of the Nigeria Police, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said the Federal Government also assented to the Nigerian Police Regulatory Bill 2020 as part of efforts to reposition the force.

“This administration has prioritised the reform, re-equipment and re-engineering the Nigeria Police, being the lead and most critical agency in the nation’s internal security architecture.

“We have shown so much commitment to the welfare and institutional advancement of the Nigeria Police. This is evidenced by the presidential assent that has been granted to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund bill and the promptness with which the board of trustees was inaugurated.

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“Furthermore, the Federal Government also approved the recruitment of 40, 000 police personnel over a period of four years, as a pathway towards addressing the huge manpower gap in policing the nation,” Buhari said.

The president also commended the National Assembly and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, for their support to the police force. He assured that the Federal Government would continue to accord priority to efforts aimed at re-engineering and re-equipping the force to tackle increasing and complex security challenges of the country.

Earlier, the inspector general of police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, said the second conference and retreat for senior police officers was aimed at capacity building to re-invigorate the force for optimal service delivery.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, urged the security agencies to do away with rivalry, collaborate and synergize, so as to ensure an effective and efficient security architecture.

Fayemi, who doubles as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum, advocated for what he described as multi-level policing to ensure efficiency.

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, on his part, urged the participants to evolve more proactive ways of addressing the security challenges in the country, especially as the nation prepared for the general elections next year.