‘Nigeria Police Yet to Be in the Best Shape’
Laleye Dipo in Minna
The retiring Niger State Police Commissioner, Mr. Monday Bala Kuyars, yesterday took a critical look at the force which he served for 32 years, and concluded that the security organisation is yet to be in its best shape.
At his pulling out parade in Minna yesterday, Kuyars said: “Let me make my humble suggestion as I am exiting the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Force is yet to be in the best shape.”
The police boss, who will officially quit the force today, did not elaborate further, but said: “I humbly advise the federal government to provide adequate equipment such as Amoured Personnel Carriers (APC), anti-riot equipment, bulletproof vests, operational vehicles, helmets, long and short range tear gas, and other sophisticated arms to the police.”
He said if these pieces of equipment are provided, it would enable the police to perform their constitutional roles optimally.
Despite the challenges facing the police in Nigeria, Kuyars disclosed that the Niger State Police Command apprehended 326 suspected criminals for major offences in the 14 months he held sway in the state.
He also disclosed that 284 of those arrested were charged to court and successfully prosecuted, while 42 other cases are under investigation.
According to the outgoing police boss, those apprehended, prosecuted and those under investigation were arrested for offences such as culpable homicide, armed robbery, kidnappings, cattle rustling, rape, and unlawful possession of firearms.
He said the achievement was as a result of the synergy between the force and other security agencies, traditional rulers and the media as well as his management team.
Kuyars, however, appealed to the force “to sustain the momentum and see yourselves as officers of a viable and reputable law enforcement agency whose responsibility is to protect with courage and serve with compassion.”
The state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, who was represented at the pulling-out ceremony by the state Commissioner for Internal Security, Mr. Emmanuel Umar, promised that the state would sustain the military operation being carried out to eliminate bandits and terrorists from the state.
