Boko Haram insurgents highly armed – IGP

* Says 20 policemen still missing Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba has raised the alarm that Boko Haram insurgents are highly armed. The IGP was today responding to a question from State House journalists, on what the Force was doing to boost the morale of officers and men in the face of the current […]

* Says 20 policemen still missing

Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba has raised the alarm that Boko Haram insurgents are highly armed.

The IGP was today responding to a question from State House journalists, on what the Force was doing to boost the morale of officers and men in the face of the current security challenges

Abba explained that though his officers were used to facing dangers in the discharge of their duties, they were currently fighting a new battle in which the enemies were highly armed.

This, according to the IGP, is why the military is supporting the police in fighting the Boko Haram militants.

“Every police officer knows that if you’re on the street, there is the likelihood that you’ll come across someone who wants to do what is not right, who wants to commit a crime and sees you as an enemy. So, once you’re on patrol, you should know that there are also dangers associated with policing and patrolling. So, to us, facing dangers in the performance of police duties is not new. What is new is that this time around, the enemy is highly armed, and that is why the military is there to support us in fighting them”, he said.

The IGP said following last month’s deadly attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters  on the Mobile Police Training School, Gwoza, about 20 of his officers were still missing.

The Force had on August 23 confirmed that 35 of its men and officers were missing following the attack.

Asked how many officers were still missing, the IGP today said, “I must tell you it’s just less than 20, but we’re still concerned with every one of them, and unless we’re able to account for each and everyone of them‎, we’ll not relent in our efforts of tracing them.”

He disclosed that while some of the officers traced had reported either back to their bases or their families, others were still indecisive.

Abba, however, assured that no
effort would be spared in tracing the missing officers, adding that the Force had already begun the process of bringing the traced officers back to their units.

“The turnout of those missing is still impressive because we’ve been able to trace some of the officers who’ve reported either back to their bases or their families. When you go through what they went through, the likelihood of you knowing what to do is not very tenable. There is a possibility that the decision of what to do may not be easily comprehensible. Some went back to their homes; but our concern is that once they’re in safety, we’re satisfied; and the process of bringing them back to their units has already commenced”, he said.

Speaking further, the IGP said the recent posting of new police commissioners to 20 states and the FCT was not reorganisation, but repositioning aimed at achieving “advancement”

“What we’re trying to do is a normal thing. It has always been done, we access performance and also take into cognisance vacancies available. We’re all aware that quite a number of commissioners of police retired recently.‎ Some of them were course mates of the retired IGP. So, they left along with him after their 35 years in service. It’s just an effort to fill vacancies and of course, re-position the officers based on performance to face the challenges”, he explained.

On what warranted such repositioning, he said: “When you’re changing a culture that has been there for too long, you should know you’re going to face a lot of challenges. Those involved in changes will tell you changing the culture, the character and the attitudes of personnel is very difficult. Naturally, it comes with resistance. It comes with a lot of challenges on its own. Somehow, someone has to do it and I felt not minding the challenges I’d face, the good thing is that we’ve started. Like I said, it’s a difficult thing to do. It’ll take a little while to see it”.