- N5bn spent on rehabilitation of police stations, barracks nationwide
By Hillary Asemota
Against the backdrop of vandalization and destruction of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices especially in South-eastern part of the country in the last few weeks, the Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has assured that the 2023 elections slated for February will definitely hold nationwide even as he assured that it will be hitch-free, credible and peaceful.
Reacting to questions posed by Journalists at the Ministerial Score-card of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration which held at the Radio House recently in Abuja, he said there should be no cause for alarm.
The Minister reiterates: “In the light of the various INEC offices that are being vandalized by hoodlums across the country, I have said it before that that this election will be conducted in all parts of the country and it will be hitch-free.
“The elections will be fair and it will be credible. What you see out there being perpetuated in some parts of the country by these cowed criminals will not deter us from conducting this election and it will surely take place by the grace of God.
He went further to say that the rehabilitation of police stations and barracks in Kebbi, Edo, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Abia, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Niger, Sokoto, Ogun, Lagos and FCT is costing federal government N5 billion, adding that these include the installation of intelligence equipment in zone 1 and 2 headquarters and force headquarters.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force has upgraded facilities in some training institutions; constructed and provisioned hospitals/health centres; equipped FCT Command; rehabilitation of the police detective college at Enugu and established of Nigeria Police Cyber Crime Control centre.
He said: “The intelligence-led policing paradigm has resulted in the deployment of operational, intelligence, and ICT-based apparatus to stem the tide of crimes and criminalities in Nigeria. Some of these include the maximization of the Force Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (FIB-STS).”
The ‘NPF Rescue Me’, an app for emergency response; NPF Crime and Incident Database Centre; the Interpol Cybercrime reporting platform at incb.npf.gov.ng is available 24/7 for the reportage of cybercrime-related complaints, he said.
This according to him, includes all offences provided for by the Cybercrime Act, of 2015, including the production and distribution of child pornography. The Interpol cybercrime unit is also empowered to mitigate possible cyber-attacks.
Dingyadi, added that tremendous improvement has been recorded in the review of the training curriculum, for the Nigeria police training institutions to align with contemporary policing realities in the country.
The Minister said: “A proposal is in the pipeline to give legal backing to police training institutions nationwide. this is geared towards giving them self-accounting status, so as to enhance capabilities of training institutions to produce quality manpower needed to provide 21st-century police services in Nigeria.”
While expressing satisfaction at the ongoing reform at the Force, he added: “I will be leaving a Police Force that is friendly and so far, so good I’m satisfied with the level of modern Police relations that we are trying to create.
“May be many of you are not aware that we use to go round to monitor the conduct and behaviour of Police that are working day and night across the country and from what I have personally seen compared what it was 4 years ago.
“I would say that I’m satisfied with I have seen the only thing that remains is for Nigerians to appreciate what the Police Force are doing on the street and to know that they are for them and to try to collaborate with them and take them as their friends
“Without this reciprocal relationship what we are trying to achieve will not be 100% successful and so we need the support and collaboration of all Nigerians so that together we can try to ensure that the Police are there for everybody and then they are your friends.”
