The IGP of Police, Mohammed Adamu will begin a nationwide tour on Friday to boost the morale of police officers across the country.
Following the killing of more than 20 officers by hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS protests, the morale of members of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has been low.
NPF authorities noted the dejection among staff hence the IGP made the call to boost their morale by planning visits to all the commands across the country to encourage them.
The tour will also enable the IGP to access the level of destruction on the police stations affected in the aftermath of the protests owing to the hoodlums’ vandalisation and torching of some police stations.
However, some police officers have since refused to resume duties, respond to distress calls or enforce law and order across the country until the government addresses the killing of their colleagues.
Some of the officers, who have been away from their duty posts for the last five days, accused the Federal Government and the police authorities of not caring about their safety and well being.
Deputy Force spokesman, Adeniran Aremu, said that the IG would on Friday embark on an assessment of the security situation in Abuja.
A top police officer also said, “The tour by the IG, which is starting in Abuja, is aimed at raising the morale of officers and men of the force many of whom are not happy that the police were blamed for almost all the problems of the country during the protests despite the fact that all sectors have their bad eggs.
“We are not happy with the atrocities of SARS and other bad eggs in the force, but we are sad about the violent dimension the protest took. Many of those people killed were not hoodlums. Also, we lost fine officers and men, who were not found wanting on their duties. Our policemen are not happy that Nigerians are not concerned about the killing of policemen.”
During the tour, IGP Adamu is expected to address officers of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command and encourage them against despondency.
Over 30 police stations and posts were burnt during the attack on the NPF by thugs who hijacked the #EndSARS protests.
Investigations revealed that policemen had been absent from the roads, street junctions, black spots and other strategic points for the past five days despite a directive by the IG. Following widespread looting and arson by suspected hoodlums, the IGP on Saturday ordered police commanders to immediately stop the anarchy across the country.
He directed the immediate mobilisation of all police operational assets and resources to bring an end to the wanton violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property, and reclaim the public space from criminal elements.
Riot policemen, who were ordered to stop the looting by hoodlums, also did not show up during several incidents across the country. The military authorities had deployed soldiers to bridge the security gap following the refusal of the Mobile Police Force squadrons to respond to the attacks on private and public property.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said they had been advised to go about their duty “with discretion because our safety and security is not guaranteed.”
The officer noted that rank and file cadres were disappointed in the police authorities for keeping mute over the killing of policemen across the country, noting that they had not demonstrated good leadership.
He said, “An officer was beheaded in Anambra State and his body roasted and the video shared on social media. Nobody is talking about this. So, we don’t feel safe and would not obey any directive until the issue of our security is addressed by the police authorities and the government.”
Another senior officer stated, “People were allowed to break the law and they also killed security operatives. How can the IG ask us to reclaim the public space when our safety is not guaranteed? We have families too and our children are telling us not to risk our lives for nothing. Our family loves us.
“Do we still have human rights activists in this country? People were beheading policemen, roasting their bodies and putting it on social media, yet nobody is saying anything about it. If anyone calls me for distress calls, I would just stand on the road, I won’t go there. After all, my salary would be paid.”
According to a statement by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, the IGP gave the order to all assistant inspector-general of police, commissioners of police, heads of police operational units, squadron and base commanders in charge of zonal/state/FCT commands, the Police Mobile Force, Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Special Protection Unit, on October 24, 2020.
But almost one week after the order, most police officers have failed to resume for duty while only a few were seen on the roads.
