In its bid to ensuren comunity safety, the Nigeria Police Force will soon commence the recruitment of 20,000 officers in the 774 local government areas of the federation.
The development was announced on Thursday by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, during a one-day working visit to Katsina State.
Alkali also said that the recruitment for community policing would go on simultaneously though without salary payment because they are expected to be citizens already gainfully employed.
He said that such people would, however, be exposed to rigorous police duty training.
He made the disclosure while paying a courtesy call to Governor Aminu Bello Masari at the state government house on Thursday.
The IG further disclosed that from the support they are enjoying from the federal government, plans are underway to reinforce the command with what they need in terms of logistics and other equipments that are necessary to fight crime and criminality very soon.
While commending Governor Masari for the assistance and support given to the security agencies in the state, he, however, acknowledged that there is need for improvement and assured him that they are going to work hard to see that the situation improves greatly.
“With the support we are getting from the Federal Government, very soon we will reinforce the command with what they need in terms of logistics and other equipments necessary to fight crime and criminality.
“It is not just talk. It is practically in progress and we want to appeal to citizens that we are going to work hard to see that the citizens go about their lawful businesses
“I want to assure His Excellency (Governor Masari) that very soon, we are going to also start our recruitment process which has stopped for sometimes and we are ready to proceed with its friend, community policing, which we are going to do.
“We hope that the strength of the Nigerian Police will be enlarged and therefore we are also appealing to indigenes that we want to recruit from every local government.”
It is a directive from the President that we should recruit 10,000 for 2020 and 10,000 for 2021 and all the 774 LG will be represented and we are going to post back this policemen to their local government to come and fight crime.
“There’s no better person who knows the nook and cranny of an environment in a community than the person that lives in that community.
“There’s no better person that knows his neighbours, his relations, his friends in his community than a person who also lives in that community.
“While we are doing that, the door is open for the recruitment of community policing officers even though it is not a paid employment.
“We are expecting able men and women willing to assist in crime control and prevention to come and work with us, assist us while they have their own gainful employment.” ##
