Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris has expressed displeasure over the spate of the kidnapping of policemen in the country, describing it as “very embarrassing and annoying”.
Background:
- A Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Amos Aliyu was abducted by unknown gunmen in Munya local government area of Niger, alongside his orderly.
- Before that, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adeniyi was kidnapped in Kaduna – later rescued.
Idris says – during a meeting with commissioners of police and other senior officers in Abuja:
- Police officers that they would be held responsible should anything happen to any policeman under them.
- He urged police officers to always protect themselves, saying: “You can only protect others when you are protected because you are a target. There should be more visibility policing. Policemen should be deployed in flashpoint areas to take care of security because the presence of police in those areas would help in the reduction of crime.”
- “We must take the protection of our officers seriously. We have a problem; two days ago, one of our DPOs was kidnapped. How can you be a DPO, you have all the policemen under your command and then you start driving as if you don’t have anybody. You allow the useless kidnappers to pick you and your orderly, it is very embarrassing.”
- “The information we are receiving is that our ACP’s vehicle was abandoned in a bush and he has not been seen which obviously means that he has been kidnapped. How can we be living in such situation? It is becoming an embarrassment. DPOs and other personnel should be careful of their movement. Our officers have to be concerned about their personal safety first because this issue is becoming an embarrassment. CPs would also be vicariously liable for any policeman that is just picked up like a fowl or anything, it is very annoying.”