THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has declared that it will not admit repentant terrorists or other reformed criminals into its ranks, warning traditional rulers, community leaders and security stakeholders against recommending such individuals for recruitment into the force.
News Point Nigeria reports that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of the North Central Zone, Isyaku Mohammed, made the position known during a stakeholders’ meeting with officers and men of the Kwara State Police Command, traditional rulers, religious leaders, transport union representatives and other critical stakeholders in Ilorin.
The senior police officer urged community heads, religious leaders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other stakeholders to refrain from signing recommendation letters for individuals with criminal backgrounds, insisting that such persons must be identified and exposed rather than assisted into security agencies.
According to him, the police are determined to ensure that repentant terrorists, reformed criminals and other undesirable elements do not find their way into the Nigeria Police Force.
“Traditional rulers and DPOs do sign for those people. And I don’t think they’ll recommend anybody who has been engaged in criminality in the name of ‘I’ve repented’,” Mohammed said.
The DIG recalled his experience while serving in the North-East, where he witnessed the Federal Government’s deradicalisation programme for former Boko Haram members.
“I was privileged to serve in the North East. The military, in its own wisdom, accepted deradicalised Boko Haram members, reoriented them, and sent them back into society,” he said.
He recounted attending a town hall meeting while serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Yobe State, where officials sought to sensitise residents on accepting the rehabilitated ex-insurgents back into their communities.
“There’s a town hall meeting that I attended when I was DC Operations in Yobe. They came to sensitise the community and told the people to accept the deradicalized people because they’ve repented. But all members of the community rejected them. They said they should take them to another community where they don’t know them,” he said.
According to Mohammed, community members expressed deep resentment over the proposal, arguing that they could not coexist with individuals they held responsible for the deaths of their loved ones and the destruction of their livelihoods.
“They said, ‘I cannot see somebody who killed my parents coming back with empowerment, while my parents, whose businesses he destroyed, are still there without assistance.’ So, it becomes a subject of discussion. But this is a Federal Government decision, and the police cannot do anything about it,” he stated.
The DIG stressed, however, that while the deradicalisation programme remains a Federal Government policy, the Nigeria Police has a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of its recruitment process.
“The only thing we can do is to protect our own territory and ensure that such repentant people do not find their way into the Nigeria Police. And we are doing everything possible to ensure that not just repented criminals, but also bad boys, we don’t allow them to find their way into the Nigeria Police.
“So, you, our stakeholders, community heads, etc., don’t sign for them, identify them, expose them. We will not allow them into the system. And if you do, after training, we’re sending them back to you to come and police your places. So, you take the consequences,” he warned.
Mohammed, who serves as the coordinating DIG for the North Central geopolitical zone, also disclosed that a joint border patrol would soon be inaugurated to combat crime and strengthen security across Kwara State’s border communities.
He noted that Kwara shares boundaries with Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi and Niger states, as well as the Republic of Benin, making coordinated border security essential.
“Kwara State borders states like Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Niger, and Benin Republic. So, the joint border patrol would be done across its border corridors to prevent criminality and criminals,” he said.
The DIG further revealed that the Inspector-General of Police had directed all Deputy Inspectors-General to visit states within their respective zones to engage directly with stakeholders, assess security situations firsthand, identify challenges confronting police commands and officers, and recommend practical solutions.
He also advocated community policing as an effective strategy for crime prevention, urging residents to take ownership of security within their communities.
“Here, the community takes ownership of security strategy,” he said while encouraging stakeholders to embrace community policing.
Mohammed equally underscored the importance of timely intelligence sharing between communities and security agencies, while calling for greater youth engagement and empowerment to steer young people away from crime and make them productive members of society.