I-G decries loss of personnel during duties, to increase deployment to Enugu
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olatunji Disu, has decried increasing number of police officers being killed in the line of duty, while battling insecurity across the country.
Disu said this in Enugu on Wednesday while addressing newsmen shortly after the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Forensic and Investigation Centre in Enugu built by the Enugu State Government.
The I-G said that police personnel had continued to make sacrifices in the fight against crime, insurgency and banditry, adding: “We are trying our best, and we are losing our men while doing it.”
Disu recalled the recent death of three officers of the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit in Maiduguri, who were killed while attempting to detonate an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by insurgents.
“They were dedicated officers who wanted to save lives. Unfortunately, they fell into the trap laid by the insurgents, and we lost them,” he said.
The police boss also assured Nigerians that security agencies had been working tirelessly to tackle insecurity across the country.
“We are not sleeping on our oars. We are working day and night. What we are doing may not be made public, but very soon Nigerians will hear good news,” he said.
On preparations for future elections, the I-G said that the police remained fully committed to ensuring peaceful, credible and violence-free polls.
According to him, as the lead agency in election security, we must continue to update our thinking, procedures and training especially going with changes as the new electoral act stipulates.
On the debate over state police, Disu disclosed that the Force had already developed a framework on the issue, which had been submitted to the Presidency and National Assembly for consideration.
He added that contributions from the police framework had featured prominently in ongoing discussions on policing reforms.
On manpower shortage, the I-G admitted that the Force was currently overstretched, adding: “We do not have enough personnel.”
He noted that President Bola Tinubu had approved the recruitment of 50,000 police personnel, noting that the process was already at the medical screening stage, while police training institutions were been refurbished ahead of the exercise.
“Plans are underway to recruit even more officers beyond the approved number,” he said.
Disu also pledged to increase police manpower in Enugu State following discussions with Gov. Peter Mbah, who recently procured additional operational vehicles for security agencies.
He said, “The governor has acquired a large number of vehicles, and we need personnel to deploy them.
“I have given him my assurance that we will increase manpower in Enugu to sustain the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.”
Speaking, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, said that the state continued to enjoy a relatively stable security and remained one of the most peaceful states in the South-East and the country at large.
Giwa said that the command remained vigilant and proactive in addressing emerging and evolving security threats, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cult-related violence, farmer-herder conflicts, “one-chance” robberies, human trafficking, and other forms of organised crime.
“The Command has, therefore, sustained intelligence-led and coordinated operations aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling criminal networks, while denying criminal elements the liberty to operate.
“These sustained operational efforts have yielded significant results, including the arrest and prosecution of criminal suspects, the recovery of firearms, ammunition, stolen vehicles and other exhibits, the dismantling of criminal camps and hideouts, and the rescue of victims of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“To further strengthen public safety and public confidence, the Command has intensified visibility policing through strategic deployments, confidence-building patrols, targeted stop-and-search operations, and continuous operational assessments.
“We have also deepened community engagement, particularly in rural and vulnerable communities, to enhance intelligence gathering, strengthen partnerships with the public, and promote community participation in policing,” he said.
Recognising that contemporary security challenges require collective responses, the commissioner said that the command had institutionalised robust inter-agency collaboration with sister security and law enforcement agencies.
He said, “Furthermore, the establishment of the Distress Response Squad (DRS) and the Command-and-Control Centre by Gov. Peter Mbah, has significantly strengthened the state’s security architecture.”