“Some police stations don’t have vehicles, but Nigerians want us to perform” – IGP Lament

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has bemoaned the lack of adequate manpower and equipment in the Nigeria Police Force.

He said that he inherited a police force that was virtually abandoned and suffered neglect over the years with ill-motivated personnel.

The IGP, who spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives while participating in the sectoral debate, on Tuesday, said despite the lack of motivation and operational facilities, Nigerians will not accept any excuse for failure but expect adequate performance from them.

He said police personnel were operating in a very difficult environment as a result of the neglect they had suffered over the years, especially in the area of inadequate manpower and operational facilities, The Nation reports.

Egbetokun said the police have almost 6000 divisional police headquarters across the country with each requiring a minimum of four operational vehicles, adding that while some have operational vehicles, many of such stations cannot boast of a single operational vehicle.

He said while the United Nations’ recommendation is for one police to about 40 persons, the Nigerian police can only boast 1000 people to one policeman which is grossly inadequate, adding that the criminals in the country were aware of the handiicap of the police force.

The IGP said the police had made several arrests, while some of those arrested are being prosecuted, but was quick to add that arrest alone cannot end acts of criminalities.

He said:

“Unfortunately, the citizens are not interested in any excuse for lack of performance by the police. They want us to perform and protect them and we are ready to do that. But we need your support.

“We need a well-motivated, well-educated, trained, and inspired workforce. In spite of the challenges we have, we are doing our best. But, there is no adequate funding because no agency can perform above available resources.

“No amount of arrest will stop criminalities. You arrest 100 today, and by tomorrow, 200 are emerging. What we need is inter-agency collaboration.”

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