Over 9,000 Police Officers Retire, Die Annually – IGP

The Inspector General of Police ( IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris says the Nigeria Police Force loses 9,028 officers to death, dismissal and retirement annually.

Idris made the disclosure at the monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and above on Wednesday in Abuja.

The IGP said that the development had seriously affected the manpower of the force.

He noted that the 308, 000 police workforce was grossly inadequate for the effective policing of the more than 180 million people in the country.

The police boss said that the country was far below the UN standard of one policeman to 400 persons adding that the Federal Government had approved the recruitment of 6,000 policemen into the rank and file.

“The issue of manpower is one problem the Nigeria Police Force is facing,” he said. On the attachment of policemen to private persons, Idris said that the force would review it to ensure that they worked for the general public.

“There is a need for us to have a police that will work for the generality of Nigerians,” he said.

He said that he had directed police commissioners and zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, to compile the number of policemen attached to individuals in the country.

Newsmen report that President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 directed that police personnel attached to unauthorized and some prominent persons in the country be withdrawn and deployed to confront the security challenges in the nation.

The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Mike Okiro, said that more than 150,000 policemen were attached to unauthorized persons and Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the country.

He said that the meeting was aimed at having a comprehensive resolution on the issue of illegal firearms in the country.

Idris noted that the alleged arming of militia groups by state governments and individuals was not in the interest of the country.

He urged the commissioners of police to embark on campaign against illegal firearms in their various commands.

Idris said that plans were underway to construct an armoury for the storage of illegal firearms seized from militias across the country.

He said that the force had taken several measures to check security challenges across the country.

NAN