Twenty seven policemen missing after terrorists attacked Gwoza, Borno State in August, 2014, are yet to be declared dead, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, said on Tuesday.
Arase disclosed this while responding to questions from newsmen after inaugurating the Board of Directors of the Nigeria Police Property Development and Construction Company Ltd. (NIPPDCC).
The I-G explained that the police would follow its tradition of declaring officers that got missing in battle dead after the lapse of a period of time which he declined to give.
“About our colleagues, who are missing in Gwoza, there is a tradition in the police force.
“When officers are missing in battle, we do not declare them dead or missing until after a period has lapsed.
“So, we are still waiting for that period to lapse, and if we cannot find them after that time, then, we will formally declare them either dead or missing,’’ Arase said.
It would be recalled that 35 policemen were declared missing on August 20, 2014 after the insurgent attacked Gwoza, where one of the police training schools is located.
However, on August 26, 2014, the Police spokesman, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, told newsmen that eight of them were found, leaving 27 still missing.
Earlier, he said that the current police management was passionate about the welfare of the inspectors, rank and file, who were mostly operational personnel.
Arase stressed that the welfare of those categories of personnel needed to be given priority to ensure that corruption was stamped out of the force.
He announced that 36,000 of them would by next week proceed on training that would lead to their promotion to the next rank.
“We have a social contract with our inspectors, rank and file,’’ he said.
The seven-man board is chaired by the Inspector-General of Police.
The IGP, on June 4, mandated the Police Works Department to build 6,000 units of modern houses for the rank and file personnel.
Five hundred units of the houses are to be located in each of the 12 police zonal commands across the nation.
Meanwhile, Arase, on Tuesday, charged officers and men under the Zone 6 Police Command to put all hands on deck in stemming crimes in the zone.
Zone 6 comprises Cross River, Rivers, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states.
The directive is contained in a statement by the police spokesman, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu.
The statement expressed the IGP’s displeasure with the increasing trend of kidnapping and violent crimes in the zone in spite of several directives to tackle them.
It quoted the IGP as placing embargo on casual or annual leave for personnel in the zone to ensure that they complied with the directive to tackle the violent crimes.
The statement reaffirmed that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that peace prevailed for people to go about their lawful businesses in all parts of the country.
It urged the public to continue to collaborate with the police by reporting any suspicious person or criminal element to the nearest police station for prompt action.
