Senate pledges more funding support for police

The Senate, on Tuesday, pledged to give adequate budgetary support required by the Nigeria Police to enable them to tackle the increasing security challenges nationwide.

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, disclosed this on the floor of the house shortly after a closed-door session that lasted more than two hours with the acting Inspector General (I-G) of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in Abuja.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Senate had, on April 25, summoned Adamu over the alarming level of insecurity in the country, ranging from kidnapping to insurgency and banditry.

The resolution of the Senate inviting the I-G was sequel to a motion sponsored by Sen. Shehu Sani (PRP-Kaduna) following the killing of Faye Mooney, an official of Mercy Corps Nigeria, and Matthew Oguche, her partner, at the Kajuru Castle in Kaduna State.

According to Saraki, the Nigerian Police briefed us on efforts at ameliorating the situation and the challenges.

“However, he hoped to address the menace squarely.

“He promised to address the areas that have to do with the discipline of officers that have been found wanting.

“He said efforts are being deployed to improve the situation, particularly on the Abuja-Kaduna axis and also in the area of intelligence and technology,” he said.

He said the Senate had committed itself to support the police in the areas of funding towards strengthening the officers’ capacity.

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“The Senate also promised and committed that in the areas of funding issues, it is ready at any time to give assistance to provide adequate funding that is required in order to make the police combat the necessary threats to our security,’’ Saraki said.

Speaking to newsmen after the session, Adamu said: “A lot of the strategies that we put in place are working.

“And then we have reviewed the strategies and what we are putting again in order to mitigate some of the challenges that emerged.

“And they have appreciated what we presented and also they gave suggestions as to how to enhance the strategies that we said we are deploying,’’ he said.

Adamu corroborated that the Senate had agreed to support the police “in every aspect that we need in order to do our job to make the country secure.”

On whether an ultimatum was given to him on ending the challenge, he said: “No, there is no ultimatum.’’

According to him, policing is dynamic and you cannot give ultimatum as to dealing with a crime.

On whether he was satisfied with the total workforce in the police at present, the I-G said: “The number of personnel we have, as you know, can never be enough, but the government is doing its best.

“Every year, we are recruiting more policemen. At least this year, we have about 10, 000 officers again to recruit.

“So the number is growing and very soon, we will meet up with the required number that is needed for us to deploy and fight crime,” he said.

Adamu, who arrived at the upper house at about 11:20 am, left the NASS at about 1:47 pm.