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Nigerian Police Needs 1,000 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 774 Drones And 250,000 Rifles – IG

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5 years ago

February 27, 2020

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IG says Police needs 1,000 APCs, 774 drones and 250k rifles to police the length and breadth of Nigeria.

He revealed this during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs.

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The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday said the Nigeria Police Force needs about 1,000 tracking devices, 774 operational drones and 250,000 assault rifles in order to work effectively.

The IG disclosed this at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, tagged : “Repositioning the Nigeria Police for an Enhanced Service Delivery”.

Other equipment the IG said the force needed includes 1,000 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), 200,000 riot gunners and smoke pistols, and 2,000,000 tear gas canisters and smoke grenades.

Besides the inadequate manpower, he also lamented that poor remuneration scared the best and suitable applicants away from the police.

The police are also battling with dilapidated barracks, poor remuneration and low budgetary allocations.

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The IG was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Abdulmajid Ali. During the House of Representatives event on Tuesday, Ali gave a comparative analysis between the police budget in Nigeria and South Africa.

He said :

“A comparative analysis between Nigeria and South Africa police indicates that while in 2018 the South African police got R46.87bn rand or N1.1372tn for visible policing programme, with a 6.89 per cent growth projection up to 2021/2022 financial year; the Nigeria Police had to do with N35bn appropriation and an eventual release of N20bn for capital and overhead expenditure.”

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On operational equipment, Ali said:

“The force needs to improve on its arsenal, as well as technology to combat cybercrime, insurgency and sundry crimes.

“Consequently, not less than 1,000 APCs, 250,000 assault rifles/corresponding ammunition; 2,000,000 tear gas canisters/smoke grenades 200,000 riot gunners and smoke pistols; 1,000 tracking devices; 774 operational drones, among others, (are needed) to cover the length and breadth of the nation.”

While calling on the National Assembly for various legislative interventions, Ali stated the need to review the country’s policing structure.