The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Monday ordered
immediate withdrawal of all police orderlies attached to private
individuals and companies.
This brings the incumbent police chief up to
speed with his predecessors in one of the most recurring but ineffective
police directives.
At the meeting with police commissioners and assistant
inspectors-general at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday
afternoon, Mr. Idris said all state commissioners must comply with the
orders immediately.
To be withdrawn are officers attached to private individuals and
companies — with the exception of private financial institutions— across
the country, according Yomi Sogunle, an assistant commissioner of
police and head of the police complaints unit.
Mr. Sogunle, who said he was present at the meeting,
said Mr. Idris also issued directives for all spy number plates used by
private individuals to be withdrawn. The police regularly issue cover
number plates to individuals who are not public officials or occupying
sensitive positions that could render them susceptible to debilitating
threats.
While the order appears to be the first from Mr. Idris, it contains
essentially the same elements as similar directives by former police
chiefs over the past decade.
In 2009, Ogbonna Onovo, IGP from 2009-2010, ordered immediate
withdrawal of all orderlies attached to private individuals. However,
soon after the directive was issued, state commissioners began identifying some private individuals that would be exempted from the policy.
In October 2010, about a month after succeeding Mr. Onovo, Inspector-General Hafiz Ringim called for immediate removal of personnel attached to private individuals, an order that failed to hold water.
In February 2012, Mr. Ringim’s successor, Mohammed Abubakar, also issued his own directive, saying it was time to bring professionalism, efficiency and integrity to police operations.
Mr. Idris’ immediate predecessor, Solomon Arase, also ordered the withdrawal of all officers
from private individuals a few weeks before he left office. Like his
predecessors, Mr. Arase also complained that the police could not afford
to attach officers to private individuals when there are more pressing
security challenges across the country.
The demand for officers to be withdrawn from private use has come
from successive inspectors-general almost as often as the directive for
officers to stop mounting roadblocks in the country.
While the police chiefs have not openly explained the reason why
their orders often fall flat, the Police Service Commission (PSC), a
body that regulates the police, recently said implementing the order was
more difficult than an IGP would admit.
Mike Okiro, chairman of the PSC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a recent interview that the police lacked the resources to withdraw personnel from private actors.
Mr. Okiro said about 150,000 out of a total workforce of about
400,000 officers in the country are attached to private individuals and
companies.
“We could not sustain the enforcement of the order on the withdrawal
of policemen attached to unqualified persons in the country because of
lack of fund,” Mr. Okiro, an erstwhile police inspector-general, said.
Even if implemented, the withdrawal order might be short lived. This
is because Mr. Idris also asked state commissioners to exercise
discretionary powers over who qualifies for police protection in their
respective states.
“The IG asked the commissioners to go back to their states and
withdraw the police officers from private individuals and companies,”
Mr. Sogunle said. “After that, the commissioners would start accepting
applications for protection and examine individuals cases to see who has
serious security threat that could warrant being granted police
protection in their states”
But Mr. Sogunle told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Idris appeared determined
to see his latest directive through, saying it might even affect some
public officeholders.
The police IG said a memo would be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.
He
added that the approval would also serve as a guideline or template for
the deployment of officers to VIPs, political and public office
holders.
Idris said a task force had been constituted at the force
headquarters to ensure compliance to the directive while command
commissioners would replicate same at their various commands.
He
said organisations and individuals that required services of the police
and are found worthy would be considered by the special protection unit (
SPU) of the force.
Idris explained that this would be on
application for re-validation through the state commissioners of police
where they are resident.
“I am charging the commissioners of
police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment
and thereby holding them accountable,” he said.
On illegal use of
siren and spy number plate, Idris directed all holders to return them to
the force transport officer ( FTO) in Abuja to apply for re-validation.
He said that a task force would be formed at the command levels by state commissioners of police to ensure compliance.
Idris said when formed, the list of members of the task force would be forwarded to the DIG operations on March 31.
He said criminals now take advantage of the situation to perpetrate heinous crimes across the country.
The police IG also warned individuals covering their vehicle number plate and using siren illegally to desist forthwith.