THE Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has lamented the manpower challenge in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), saying an officer does the work of two persons.
While there are about 370,000 officers in the Force, IGP Egbetokun told men and officers of the Kwara State Police Command that efforts are being made to rewrite the narrative.
“We’re paying attention to manpower. I know that there’s a shortage of manpower in your command. I know the stress that I went through while I was the commissioner of police here in making sure that the job was done. I know that one policeman today does the job of two policemen,” he said at the headquarters of the command in Ilorin on Friday.
“A policeman would close from night duty and resume for morning duty. And as he’s closing from morning duty, he’s resuming night duty. And when he dozes off in public, his photograph would be taken and posted, making ridicule of him. I’m aware of all these.”
But despite this challenge, the police chief says “hope is on the way” for the Nigerian police.
“We’re making efforts to increase your strength. Mr President recently gave an approval for us to increase our yearly recruitment into the police,” he added.
“That’s a step forward and that is how to start. We need to double the strength of the police force in the country but we cannot do it overnight. We are going to gradually do it and gradually we will get there.”
During the one-day working visit to the North-Central State, the IGP also visited the Governor of Kwara State AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq. The duo had discussions centred on collaborative initiatives to ensure the safety and security of the state’s residents.
In his address, the police boss lauded the governor for his continuous support of the Nigeria Police Force in maintaining law and order.
