Only 10% of 350,000 Police workforce enjoy suitable accommodation — IGP

…Serving in Nigerian Force equals living in penury — Police Officer

By Abimbola Abatta, Isaac Olamikan, Seun Ibiyemi, and Uthman Salami

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Baba, has announced that more than 90 per cent of the Nigeria Police Force personnel do not have access to befitting accommodation within the barracks.

Mr. Baba noted that an adequate living condition would engender optimal service delivery in the nation.

He said this yesterday at the Quarter Four 2021 Public Private Partnership Units Consultative (3PUCF) meeting organised by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in Abuja.

The IGP who was represented by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) on Logistics and Supply, Mr Zanna Ibrahim, said, “It will surprise you to know that with a workforce of over 350,000 in staff strength, the NPF has less than 10 per cent of its personnel quartered in befitting barracks accommodation.

“The state of disrepair and integrity failure in our barracks need no emphasis and we are really in dire need of befitting accommodation to enable us tackle the art and act of policing the nation optimally.

“Suffice to add that there is an ongoing initiative to recruit 10,000 constables for the next six years annually, thereby increasing the housing needs for police officers and men,” he added.

Meanwhile, reaction has trailed the announcement by the IGP on the gross housing deficit experienced by police officers.

Serving in Nigerian Force equals living in penury — Serving officer

A serving police officer, who pleaded anonymity, said serving as a security officer in Nigeria is tantamount to living in penury.

According to him, housing deficit is a general issue that runs across all the security systems, but the case of the police is more pathetic.

He said, “If Nigerians want to help the police, they know what to do. It is not an issue of singling out only the police. It is a general issue that runs across all the security system. The only thing is that the case of the police is more pathetic.

“This year is making it my 14 years in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). I don’t have accommodation inside the barracks. To make my family comfortable, I have to rent a decent flat far away from the barracks for which I pay N20,000 monthly. How much is my lodging allowance and my salary? And out of the meagre salary I must feed my family and make sure my children attend good schools among others.

“These are some of the issues Nigerians must take note of and come together to help us solve. Serving the fatherland should not be tantamount to living in penury.

“If the IGP is saying that at least 20 per cent of serving police officers have access to living in decent houses provided by the force management, who am I to come out in the open to challenge him?

“These are some of the welfare issues that the EndSARS nationwide protests should have helped us to resolve instead of attacking policemen for no just cause.

“Please tell the IGP to finance a facility tour of all the police barracks across the country by journalists to confirm his statistics. His figure is far from reality.”

High-ranking officers keep hijacking govt aids, reveals Officer

While speaking with Nigerian NewsDirect, a police officer who did not want her name mentioned over fear of retribution said, “The IGP is not making a mistake. Whenever they are making a decision, they only do what will be beneficial to them and their immediate ones. Even the so called 10 per cent that he mentioned still falls among the officers and not other  ranks.”

When asked to highlight what the government could do to alleviate some of the yearnings of the police officers with regards to suitable accommodation, she said “If government wants to help, the high ranking officers will still corner the schemes. Government has been releasing funds to build barracks and other things to the police, but the officers who are in-charge keep cornering the money.

“The Government should do it on their own. They should go to the satellite places themselves where they intend to build structures for police. They should not give it to  high ranking police officers but do it themselves. Then after construction, they should hand them over to the police. This is the only viable solution.”

On the proposed salary increase of police, the anonymous officer who spoke to our Correspondent said, “Since the EndSARS protest that people police salary should be reviewed, nothing has changed till date.”

Another police officer who spoke on the basis of anonymity revealed that many of the available barracks are in a deteriorating condition.

He also lamented that conducive housing quarters have a lot of impact on how police officers discharge their duties.

In his words, “When you have good housing, you will discharge your duties accordingly. Those who do not have good houses cannot.

“Some police officers live in another town yet they come to work here everyday. There are giant barracks all around across the country, but most of them are dilapidated.

“If the government can improve on housing for police officers, it will even serve as a motivation for us to work harder.”

However, a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, who also pleaded anonymity, said: “As a Christian, it won’t be a good thing for me to criticise the Inspector General of Police (IGP) even as I am no more in service.

“What we should realise is that the IGP is a political appointment. As such, the occupant of that position must always do things in tune with what the government of the day desires no matter how good or bad the matter is to the generality of Nigerians.

“He dare not go beyond his limits. So, let’s join hands with the serving IGP to make his tenure as smooth as possible.”

In another development, Nigerian NewsDirect learnt from a police officer that many of the operatives who were deployed to Anambra State during the gubernatorial election in November have not been compensated.

However, the source disclosed that the high ranking officers among them have been remunerated.

Recall that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) had announced that it would deploy over 34,000 operatives to the state for the election.