IGP stops attachment of mobile police to individuals

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday, said the force would no longer deploy personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to guard individuals.

Idris made the disclosure at a meeting with Commanders of PMF, Special Protection Unit (SPU) and the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), in Abuja.

“Therefore, in line with these responsibilities, it will be against force policy to deploy police mobile force personnel to guard individuals or fragment their personnel into smaller units,“he said.

He said that the PMF, CTU and SPU, were currently undergoing reorganisation and restructuring in accordance with their responsibilities.

The IG said the force had put in motion strategy to ensure that PMF personnel were gradually replaced with SPU personnel, who were saddled with the responsibility of close protection of VIPS.

Idris said that the special police units occupied the central aspects of policing all over the world.

“It is, therefore, important that we as a nation, ensure that our special police units are given adequate training and resources to enable them carry out their responsibilities,“he said.

He said that in order to enhance the capability of the SPU personnel, they would be stationed in all police commands as against zonal commands.

Idris restated his administration’s resolve to ensure that all police training facilities operated optimally.

He said that the force was also proposing the establishment of a Police SPU training school for enhanced service delivery.

The IG said the force would seek the support of the Nigerian Navy to establish a marine police training school in Bayelsa to enable the police dominate the creeks of Niger Delta region.

He said that the measures being taken by the force would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the police and address the major security challenges in the country.

Idris remanded the commanders of the police core values of integrity, accountability and respect for diversity.

He also advised them to operate within the concept of democratic policing to be responsive to the yearnings of the citizens.

The IG warned that any violation of the measures would be punished by the police management.

“In the coming days, we are going to start looking closely at our officers to ensure that they carry out these measures being put in place by the senior police management,“he said.

NAN reported that the leadership of the 60 PMF squadrons, 21 CTU commanders and 12 SPU commanders  in the country attended the meeting.