The fight against Boko Haram may suffer a major blow, if the psychological disposition of the riot policemen drafted to the northern part of Nigeria to fight the sect members, is anything to go by.
Fillers coming in from the axis, allege that some of the policemen are angry, claiming that they were sent to the northern parts to be slaughtered like animals, while equipments needed to fight Boko Haram members were not made available to them.
According to some of them, their military counterparts were better equipped to fight and stay alive than the police.
A police source said: “More than 45 policemen that we know had been killed by the Boko Haram sect members.
“There’re those we don’t even know about!
“Those killed included Officer in Charge of mobile policemen and an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations (ACP OPS).
“More than 20 policemen sustained permanent injuries.
“And it’s quite saddening that none of those killed or wounded received any compensation whatsoever!”
It was also gathered from another source that policemen in northern part lacked Armoured Personnel Carriers, patrol vehicles and are allegedly not given allowances as motivational tools from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The source said: “There’s not even a common good accommodation!
“The men sleep in partial buildings, like shanties.
“And these buildings are the ones ordered by the unit commanders that the men should construct.
“The men built these shanties with roofing sheets.”
Another police source said: “There’s not enough tear-gas, ammunitions for the men.
“These Boko Haram men attack with AK47 rifle guns, rocket launchers, general purpose machine guns, improvised explosives devices, while our men confront them with just pump action rifles.
“These men are not happy, but they can’t leave the job because there’s no job in the country.”
Some of the policemen allege that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, only promoted policemen in air conditioned offices in the headquarters, while those fighting the menace of the Boko Haram and getting killed everyday are not promoted.
According to them, the promotions favour policemen in Force Headquarters, Abuja.
A source said: “Just recently, a Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of B, operations, Mr. Leha, went to pay N90,000 to 10 mobile Police units posted to Yobe and Borno States by December 2012, leaving the units that were first posted to the two states unpaid!”
Another issue, which is affecting the morale of the men on the beat in North is what had been described as police authourity’s flagrant disregard for the regulation of the Police Act.
It was further learnt that some of the mobile policemen, who were supposed to be de-mobbed after six years, are still in the North.
Some have been there for close to 15 years without transfer.
It was further gathered that the situation is far worse for regular policemen, who were allegedly transferred to the North as a sort of punishment.
Many of them have allegedly been there for between 10 and 25 years without transfer.
But a chief Superintendent of Police countered these allegations.
The CSP said: “Usually, a mobile police officer, after three years, is supposed to re-new his mobile allegiance, but can leave the mobile police force after spending six years in the mobile force.
“But in case of crisis in any part of the country, like we now have in the Northern part, such mobile police officers cannot be de-mobbed because more hands are needed during such time to help in such crises prone areas.
“Majority of them are sent to such crises prone area en-mass to help the regular police officers over there.”
In another vein, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, a serving mobile officer, stationed in Ibadan, Oyo State, said: “Crisis or no crisis, a mobile police officer is supposed to serve for maximum of five years!
“It used to be three years before, but now five years.
“Those mobile police officers in the North are supposed to be de-mobbed by now.
“Mobile policing is a voluntary force.
“You’re supposed to be asked where you wished to be posted after five years, but everything is turning upside down now!”
Attempts made to get the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, to react on these allegations, proved abortive, as his ringing phone was not picked.
The journalist further sent an email to him, detailing out the questions, but the email was not answered after over 48 hours.
Trending
- Transcorp Power appoints Non-Executive Directors
- Troops neutralise 192 terrorists, apprehend 341 others in one week – DHQ
- Why we sacked coach Paul Offor – Sporting Lagos FC Chair
- JUTH records first set of IVF quadruplets
- Victor Boniface: From military barracks to Bundesliga glory, by Kayode Adebiyi
- GOtv Boxing Night 31: Abimbola targets N1m cash prize
- Police arrest driver for alleged unlawful possession of pistols
- Navigating boss-subordinate relationship, by Kenechukwu Aguolu