N16bn compensation to families of fallen heroes: A welcome development
The recent huge compensation by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Alkali Baba to the family of fallen heroes is a dignified trait of good leadership charism in display.
The IG, Mr Alkali Baba presented cheques of N16billion to families of police officers who died in active service in Kogi. The IG made the presentations through the Kogi Commissioner of Police, Akeem Yusuf, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration: DCP Abel Audu at the Command’s Headquarters in Lokoja. The report in Lokoja that the N16 billion cheques were presented to the next of kins of 28 Police Officers who died in active service in the state went viral.
According to Baba, this gesture is part of the “Group Life Assurance Scheme” and IGP’s “Family welfare Insurance” aimed at improving the welfare of the families of the deceased Police Officers, this is also aimed at encouraging other officers who are in active service to give their best to the nation, which will not forget their patriotism and services.
“To us as a force, the loss of the deceased personnel is tragic and painful but we all have to bear it as God knows why.”
He urged the beneficiaries not to misuse the funds but should endeavour to make judicious use of them for the betterment of their families.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs S. John, expressed appreciation to the IGP for the gesture and promised to make good use of the money for the benefit of their families.
By this rarely gesture, the IGP has injected the spirit of sportsmanship in the Nigeria Police Force. This will boost the morale of men and officers who will be willing and ready to perform their core responsibility noting that their families will be properly taken care of whenever there’s cases of death in the service.
The IGP has reawakened a courageous mindset among the security personnel that will strengthen the entire force to abide by rules and regulations in their field operations.
In line with the IGP’s manpower development policy and dedication to improving the infrastructure and assets of the Force, a total of 34,595 officers across all ranks have been promoted while ultra-modern, and fully furnished Police Stations and Barracks accommodations have been commissioned in 13 States including the FCT, 5 state-of-the-art Police Combat Gunboats, 221 patrol vehicles, 55 lorries, 10 Tata Troop Carriers, 15 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 200 operational vehicles 5,160 Civil Disorder Control Equipment 6,723 Bullet Proof Vests 5,212 Ballistic Helmets, 2,110 Anti-Riot Helmets, 5 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and 3 Combat Drones have been procured, commissioned and distributed to deal with complex special police operations across the country which will go along way in improving Service standard.
Under the IGP, between January and November 2022, 865 victims of kidnapping were rescued, and unhurt, while 383 kidnapping suspects were arrested. Similarly, a total of 923 armed robbery suspects; 335 murder suspects; and 473 suspected cultists were also apprehended during internal security operations. A total of 1,125 assorted firearms and 10,653 assorted calibesers of ammunition were recovered. The Nigeria Police Force also apprehended 696 terror elements, bandits, and secessionists; and 284 pipeline vandals across the country.
The level of crime related cases perpetrated among serving officers has equally reduced to minimised stage considering the inculcation of discipline by the IGP in the police force. There was effective sensitisation to dissect operational challenges about the IGP’s policing mandate, review and perfect election security management plans, ahead of the 2023 General Elections, and collectively set the policing goals for the Year 2023.
Some of the achievements of the Nigeria Police during the period under review according to the IGP, include the arrest and ongoing prosecution of 7,036 notorious criminals suspects – 155 suspected terrorists/secessionists; 1,243 suspected kidnappers; 1,845 armed robbery suspects; 1,445 for cultism; 1,183 for murder; 1,110 for cybercrime; and 1,165 for rape and other sexual and gender based violence. The recoveries made under his administration include 1,717 sophisticated firearms; 341 stolen vehicles; 39,541 live ammunition and the rescue of over 934 kidnap victims unhurt. Asked what the Police is doing about the spate of kidnapping, he stated that the Police have been advocating for non-payment of ransom, however this in most cases lead to situations where people do not want to report to the Police. He said however that the Police has mitigated kidnap instances, insisting that the necessary tools to tackle the menace, swift dispensation of justice and adequate technological hardware are keys that would improve the fight against kidnapping.
The Police currently have over 20,000 active cases at the various courts in the country while over 1,570 convictions have been secured by the Force Legal Section, Abuja only. Some of the key convictions highlighted by the Chief of Police include the upholding of the death penalty for the serial killer, Gracious David-West, who was convicted for the 2019 multiple murders of about 19 females in Port-Harcourt, and the death penalty awarded to both Suleiman Goma and Haruna Idi for the kidnap and murder of a former Vicar-General of Otukpo Diocese, Rev. John Alexander Adeyi, by the Makurdi High Court.
The #EndSARS protest was not left out of the IGPs presentation as he acknowledged the role it played as a catalyst for change in many sectors of the NPF. The Inspector General of Police noted that some of the demands made by protesters have been met while others are being worked on in the interim. For example, he noted that all protesters arrested during the #EndSARS protest were profiled, screened and released unconditionally except those implicated for murder, malicious damage, theft & other serious offences; that the Force Medical Department was immediately empowered to carry out psychological evaluation of police personnel disengaged from the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS); and that the Salary and Wages Commission is working out a new salary structure for the NPF as directed by the President, His Excellency. Mohammadu Buhari, GCFR.
The current IGP has put a facelift in the police force system that officers and men are expected perform their responsibilities especially in the next coming Gubernatorial and State House of Assemblies Elections with misgivings in their character thrust. The foundation laid by the IGP in swift compensation of fallen heroes must be embraced by potential leadership in the system as a medicine for exceptional performance.
