Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the confirmation of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, by the National Police Council.
Mohammed, who lauded the choice of Egbetokun as IGP, said the council’s meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, and the confirmation process led to extended deliberations concerning the Nigeria Police Force.
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He said the committee consisted of the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, all collaborating on a shared reform agenda to ensure comprehensive overhaul of the Nigeria Police Force.
He said: “The confirmation of the IGP prompted further discussion on the Nigeria Police Force and the President has formed a special committee to look at all the gaps in Nigeria’s 1999 constitution with a view to bring harmony and synergy, closing technology and manpower to the Nigerian Police Force.
“The committee comprises Minister of Police Affairs, NSA, Chairman of PSC and the chairman of the NGF to work on common on reform agenda with a view to make sure that the Nigeria Police is reformed.”
Also speaking on the confirmation of the IGP, the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, said the National Police Council observed that no meaningful reforms had taken place in the Nigerian Police Force since its creation in 1861.
The governor added that the new committee wouldcome up with ideas that would lead to reforms of the Nigerian Police Force.
He said: “The newly confirmed IGP is adequately prepared, his CV is extremely rich, very experienced intellectually and practically. He also addressed us as a Council on the state of policing in Nigeria.”
”Among other things he highlighted, he spoke about the need for technology-driven policing, the need for community-based policing, the need to ensure that required budgetary provision is provided for community-based policing which has been proven to be very effective.”
Governor Abiodun further revealed that the newly confirmed IGP also addressed the council on major police requirements, which involved technology-driven policing.
“The IGP also spoke on professionalising the police, canvassing that each policeman will have certain qualities and should be encouraged to follow those qualities.
“The issue of funding also came up and this committee of 4-5 will look at these issues that border on reforms. We observed that there have been no meaningful reforms since the establishment of the Nigerian Police Force.
“So we believe that with the new committee, the members will come up with ideas that would lead to reforms that will characterize the new Nigerian Police Force,” the governor added.
In attendant at the briefing were the Ministers of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam and Iman Sulieman Ibrahim, Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, the Bauchi State Governor and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase.
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