FG is making efforts to address challenges facing NPF —Yemi Osinbajo

The Federal Government is making efforts to address the challenges confronting the operations of the Nigeria Police Force, acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has pledged.

Osinbajo made the pledge on Thursday in Abuja at a two-day national security summit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit was organised by the office of the Inspector-General of Police in conjunction with Leadership group and the Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

The theme of the summit is: “Forging Partnership for Effective Strategies to Curb the Menace of Kidnapping, Recurring Farmers-Herders Clashes and Criminality in Nigeria.’’

The acting President, who was the special guest of honour, was represented at the occasion by the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau.

Osinbajo said: “I want to assure the NPF of my administration’s support in carrying out institutional reforms and restructuring geared towards reviving the police in line with global best practices.

“We are keenly aware of the enormity of the task at hand, ranging from manpower shortage as a result of recruitment and training challenges and inadequate operational tools.

“It is paramount to note that efforts are already advanced to tackle these challenges with the recruitment of 10,000 policemen to address manpower challenges as well as improved budgetary allocation.”

He called on the organised private sector to intensify efforts in complimenting government efforts to invest in the security sector.

He expressed confidence that the ideas generated at the summit would assist in surmounting the security challenges facing the country.

The acting president noted that any serious government would pay attention to issues of security.

He said that security, anti-corruption and the commitment to provide good governance, formed the cardinal programmes of the incumbent administration.

He said that security challenges facing the country had reduced as a result of the commitment of the administration to address them.

“This administration has also entered into bilateral and multilateral collaboration with other nations and international organisations to improve on the nation’s security challenges,”he said.

He said that the police had re-established civil authority in liberated areas in the North-East.

Speaking in his capacity as Minister of Interior, Dambazau said the ministry would build capacity of security agencies to tackle security challenges.

He said that farmers/herdsmen clashes involved regional dimension as the sub-region recognised free movement of persons and goods.

Dambazau urged state governors to domesticate the Criminal Justice Act to fast-tack cases in the courts and as well decongest the prisons.