I’ll Enforce Withdrawal Of Riot Policemen As Personal Guards, Says IG

The Ag. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris has vowed to enforce the withdrawal of riot policemen serving as personal guards. He also said the ban on road block was a directive from the Federal Government and remains.

Idris, who also dismissed the rumour of the sack or forced retirement of some Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) and other senior officers as mere speculation, spoke in Abuja during his maiden meeting with senior officers of the Force.

Some of the topics that were   discussed include: Declaration of assets, withdrawal of Police Mobile Force,(PMF) personnel, restructuring of Special Anti Robbery Squad, PMF, Counter Terrorism Unit, formation of eminent persons forum in each state command, and establishment of joint operations centre in each state Command, among others.

Idris said: “I want to say that road blocks remain banned and it is not even a police policy, it is a directive from the federal government and we must abide by it. 

“We are going to reinforce the X-Squad and they will check corruption within the police and at various levels in the civil servants. We are going to set them up at Commands and they will be used to check the illegal road blocks and I can assure you that they are going to be effective”. 

On the withdrawal of Police Mobile Force (PMF) from Individuals, he said: “I was AIG Operation and I know the challenges we faced. What we are saying is that the PMF and the Counter Terrorism Unit are going to be withdrawn from individuals and this time, we mean it. 

“We have more security challenges in the country and we cannot continue to deploy them as body guards. The PMF are not body guards, they are trained as response unit to take care of riot and they are going back to their primary responsibility.”

  

He added that the Special Protection Unit (SPU) would provide guard and protection for individuals.