Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is making frantic efforts to address the problems of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Arase made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ meeting with traditional, religious and opinion leaders, associations and the members of the civil society organisations, among others in Sokoto on Wednesday.
“Some of these problems include the dilapidation of police training schools, residential and office accommodation and other problems inhibiting the officers and men from performing their constitutional duties diligently.
“We will continue to provide adequate vehicles for patrols, money for fueling, incentives for our officers on patrols, and we will ensure a robust life insurance scheme for our officers and men.
“The ban on road blocks is still in force, while however, we can conduct our stop and search operations whenever we get any security alerts, across the nation,’’ Arase added.
According to him, the police will tighten security around schools, women and children who are mostly vulnerable.
He promised to strive to give Nigerians people-centered to police force to enable it succeed.
“We will do everything to win your hearts and minds as the police force exists because there are the people, the Nigerians.
“The officers and men of the force are also Nigerians who will return back to the various communities to live as civilians after retiring from active service.
“We will do everything humanly possible to make sure that Nigerians are fully protected and within the ambit of the law,’’ Arase said.
He described the traditional institutions as crucial stakeholders in ensuring the security of lives and property of Nigerians.
Arase recalled that the traditional rulers were the custodians of culture, saying, “they were the hub of security even during the colonial era’’.
A cross section of the speakers at the event commended the police for working round the clock to ensure the security of lives and property in spite of many daunting challenges.
