Insecurity: IG Orders Enhanced Aerial Surveillance, Deploys Helicopters

•PSC commissioner wants emergency funding for police

Kingsley Nwezeh

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, yesterday, ordered the deployment of  four helicopters to embark on enhanced aerial surveillance and patrol to support its operatives, who have been deployed to intensify patrol and ensure adequate security for all and sundry across the country.

This came as a Commissioner representing the South-east geo-political zone in the Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief  Onyemuche Nnamani, called for emergency funding forthe Nigeria Police, saying the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF) set up to cater to the needs of the force had failed to deliver.

A statement by Force Headquarters said the IG, in furtherance of his directive and commitment to continually providing security, released funds and required logistics to facilitate the operations.

“We urge Nigerians to remain calm, go about their lawful businesses and celebrations and render necessary help to our officers and men on duty while we continue to sustain our patrols. We are available to serve you even better at all times,” it said.

Meanwhile, the PSC Commissioner, Nnamani, who called for emergency funding for the Nigeria Police to enable it withstand the debilitating security challenges facing the nation, said, “the Nigeria Police of today needs direct emergency funding so as to be properly trained, equipped and motivated to secure the Nigerian space.”

He also called for a presidential approval for  further  recruitment of additional 20,000 young men and women every year to avail the force more manpower to contain the present security crisis in the country.

Nnamani lamented that the police’s strength was depleted and not enough to police a vast nation such as Nigeria especially, in the wake of various contending banditry and terror attacks in the country.

“If it is a fact that we have no more money to spend for the police, then, the federal government should temporarily suspend some of the gigantic projects it has continued to approve funds for every Wednesday at its Federal Executive Council meetings and re-channel such funds to empowering the police for effective and efficient policing.

“There must be security of lives and property in the country before any meaningful development programme can succeed. You have to secure the public space before any meaningful investment can thrive”, he said,

Adding that some of the projects recently approved at the FEC meetings could wait to allow funds release for the police to fight insecurity.

“Government should fund the police directly and monitor how this funding is used,” he said.