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NPF Needs #1tn To Effectively Fight Against Insecurity In Nigeria- IGP

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The Nigeria Police Force will need almost N1tn to be efficient and effective in the fight against rising insecurity in the country.

The leading internal security outfit is proposing a total sum of N944,856,416,800 to carry out its operations across the country.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had on Tuesday said apart from more personnel, the Force needed not less than 1,000 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 250,000 assault rifles with corresponding ammunition, to effectively police Nigeria.

The IG also said the country needed 2,000,000 tear gas canisters and smoke grenades, 200,000 riot gunners and smoke pistols, 1,000 tracking devices, and 774 operational drones, among others.

Adamu had made this known at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, themed ‘Repositioning the Nigeria Police for an Enhanced Service Delivery.’

The police boss, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Abdulmajid Ali, stated that an aggregation of reports by the various police reform committees under the current democratic dispensation indicated that there were major challenges inhibiting optimal police service delivery.

In the document presented to the committee, a copy of which our correspondent obtained, the police listed the challenges as including gross underfunding, which he said was occasioned by inadequate budgetary appropriation and non-release of the limited appropriated funds.

An analysis of the document on Saturday showed that the police plan to spend a total of about N944.9bn on helicopters, gunboats, patrol vehicles, fuel, and monitoring and inspection.

A breakdown of the proposed expenses showed that they were in five categories.

Deployment of helicopters to the six geopolitical zones “for aerial patrol against armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and sundry operations” will cost N3,056,140,000.

The marine section of the NPF plans to spend a total of N21,660,000,000 on Police Combat Patrol Launch and armoured gunboats.

The police will also acquire operational vehicles, including pick-up vans, APCs, cameras and water canon with N696,816,800,000.

Monitoring and evaluation of commands and training institutions by the Department of Research and Planning would cost N247,488,000.

A further breakdown of the N3,056,140,000 billed for the six aircraft showed that they would conduct aerial patrol for six hours per day, consuming 800 litres per hour, while the cost at N250 per litre would amount to N2,592,000. Repairs and servicing, lubricants and spare parts make up the total.

The N21,660,000,000 proposed for PCPL include the purchase of 15 units of armoured gunboats (12M) at N230m each, 15 units of 14M at N265,000,000 each and 10 units of M16 at N285,000,000 each. Other marine vehicles and devices make up the total amount.

With N696,816,800,000 for operational vehicles, the police plan to acquire 1,819 APCs at N150m each, 1,819 water cannons at N170m each, 1,915 patrol pick-up vans at N28.5m each, and vans with cameras at N29.750m each.
The cost of fuel – both diesel and petrol – for vehicles would be N194,451,100 per week, while the cost of maintaining them would be N1,838,400,000. The vehicles are to consume 1,127,780 litres of fuel per week.

These vehicles would be distributed across 267 area commands, 1,489 divisional headquarters, 37 state headquarters, 12 zonal headquarters and four force headquarters. Each of these formations would get one of each of the items. Out of the number, 10 APCs, 10 water cannons, 100 vans and 100 vans with cameras were to be reserved.

Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission has said 2,866 senior police officers from the ranks of Assistant Superintendent of Police to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police retired from service in 2019.

The PSC decried that “because of the serious insecurity situation in the country, the Police Force continues to lose personnel almost on a daily basis,” stating that “in view of the foregoing and some others un-highlighted, it is crystal clear that the current strength and funding of the Force is grossly inadequate to effectively secure our country and her citizenry.”

Chairman of the PSC, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a retired IGP, in his written presentation to the House, a copy of which our correspondent obtained, stated that the current strength of the NPF, put at about 350,000, “is grossly inadequate to police our country.”

The PSC boss said, “For a start, urgent attention should be given to the issue of increasing the strength of the Force to at least 500,000 within the next two years. This should cover enlistment of cadet ASPs, Cadet Inspectors – general duty and specialist – and constables.

“As it has been done in the past, intensive initial training for cadet officers can be shortened to nine months while that of recruit constables can run for six months.

“If approval is given to conduct many of these courses yearly, it will ensure regular increase in the strength of the Force even with the annual retirement of due officers.”

Smith had on Tuesday decried inadequate police personnel, many of whom he said had been deployed to protect public buildings and servants as well as Very Important Persons.

“It is from the indicated police strength that personnel are deployed to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Judiciary, top government officials at the centre (Federal Government) and all the states, prominent traditional rulers nationwide, foreign embassies, banks, key/vulnerable points and all levels of police formations throughout the country. No wonder, only skeletal police coverage is available in all police formations nationwide,” he said.

Meanwhile, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law has dismissed the policing system being operated by the NPF as archaic, noting that advanced countries are deploying information and communication technology to fight crime.

Chairman of Intersociety, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, in a statement said there was no other way to describe the request presented to the House by the IGP other than “service mediocrity.”

He wondered when the Nigeria Police bosses and their military counterparts would “do away with archaic policing and soldiering.”

The statement read, “We also do not know why, when other police services or forces around the world are fully embracing ICT policing, the NPF is busy racing back to the yore and its concomitant archaic or anachronistic policing.

“The Force is notorious for policing incompetence and has been haunted by chronic data system collapse, including total collapse and malfunctioning of its central crime statistics and database. Till date, there are numerical contradictions with regard to the actual size of the NPF.

“While the newly introduced Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information under the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation puts the personnel size of the NPF to about 290,000 to 300,000 as of 2018, the authorities of the NPF have consistently maintained that Force is peopled by 370,000 personnel. In other words, the present IGP is not sure of the accurate size of the present NPF.”

The group also criticised the “near-total, if not total absence of a credible database for weapons in the armouries of the police and their movements, uses and safety. As a matter of fact, the data deficiencies in the NPF are inherently entrenched and chronic.”

“A competent, lettered and ICT compliant IGP should have provided the credible statistics of the number and type of weapons and personnel at the disposal of the Force and their functionality index, before demanding for additions or otherwise,” Intersociety said.
The statement further said, “The IGP should provide concrete answers to the following: how many rifles, APCs and related weapons and ammunitions, as well as personnel are there in the NPF? Where are they? Are the rifles and related weapons safely or porously managed? Are they being used for purposes they are legally meant for or illegally used for motley of ‘service crimes and atrocities’ such as being used in aiding ‘religious and economic terrorist activities’ and high profile street and roadway criminalities, i.e., kidnappings?

“Are the weapons and personnel truly used for securing generality of the citizens or for sundry roadway crimes such as extortion? Is it correct to say that many of these weapons and personnel are channelled into protection of the so-called VIPs and corporate establishments such as banks and multinational companies, all done in return for payment of billions of naira monthly, which never reflect in any police budget except in private pockets or coffers?

“At the non-state actor level, our questions are: are there credible statistics domiciled with the NPF showing the number, movement and use of illicit weapons such as small arms and light weapons in Nigeria or any part thereof? How secured by the NPF through police border and waterways or marine patrols are Nigeria’s four transnational borders and over 8,600km of waterways?

“Who are truly responsible for arming jihadist Fulani herdsmen or allowing them to openly source and bear rifles classified by the laws of the country as prohibited firearms? How possible is it to believe that the NPF is not complicit? Is it correct to say that the jihadist Fulani herdsmen are now recognised by the NPF as Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen Vigilante Group of Nigeria?”

Source: City News

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Tinubu @72: Photos As Lagos Lawmakers Honour Nigeria’s President

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Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly took turns to speak glowingly of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday as he marks his 72nd birthday on Friday.

The lawmakers commended the President for deciding on no-celebration of his birthday in consideration of the mood of the nation as, according to them, this was the mark of true leadership.

However, the lawmakers said it was important to celebrate the President’s achievements while he was governor of Lagos and his current strides noting that his policies in the State have continued to put Lagos on the global map.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, while praying for good health and strength for the President, noted that the successes so far achieved by Lagos can be linked to Tinubu’s wisdom and leadership capacity.

“When Asiwaju Tinubu became governor, we all know how much Lagos was earning. He successfully moved the revenue of the state from N600 million to over N8 billion in 2007. He also set in motion strategies for the upward progression of the revenue generation.

“This is not just about his birthday. It is a celebration of Lagos and where his policies have carried us. The Lagos Red Line rail project was unveiled recently and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the achievement can be attributed to Asiwaju who created the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) while he was governor,” Dr. Obasa said.

The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit a congratulatory message to the President on behalf of the lawmakers, staff and management of the Assembly.

In his contribution, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Noheem Adams, prayed that the steps currently being taken by the President would bring Nigeria out of its challenges.

While the Deputy Majority Leader, Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, described Tinubu as a compassionate leader, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh (Ajeromi-Ifelodun 1) said Tinubu’s journey has been one of successes as seen in Lagos and his current administration at the centre. He prayed that the President’s current policies will also be beneficial to every citizen.

On his part, Hon. Sylvester Ogunkelu (Epe 2) recalled how Obasa prayed in 2019 that Tinubu would be president adding that Tinubu had shown his leadership acumen by deciding not to celebrate this year’s birthday.

Hon. Foluke Osafile (Amuwo Odofin 1) commended the President’s current steps while Hon. Adewale Temitope (Ifako Ijaiye 1) prayed that God continue to direct Tinubu’s paths and also keep Lagos lawmakers soaring.

 

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FAAN Shuts KFC Lagos Airport Outlet For Discriminating Against Physically-Challenged Ex-Gov’s Son

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has shut down a branch of a popular food outlet, KFC, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos State.

FAAN stated this on Thursday in a statement signed by its Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah.

The statement, titled, ‘FAAN shuts down KFC outlet at MMIA,’ noted that the food outlet violated the Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, Part C, Section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination.

The statement added that the directive followed a social media report by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility who alleged discriminatory treatment he received at the airport.

It read, “In line with Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, Part C, section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination which states that “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person”, the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has closed the KFC facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos with effect from March 28, 2024.

“This is as a result of a social media report by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM), alleging discriminatory treatment he received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

“The MD/CE of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi, Kuku intervened swiftly by deploying a management team comprising the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah; the Regional Manager South West, Mr. Sunday Ayodele; Ag. General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs Ijeoma Nwosu-Igbo and the International Terminal Manager, Mr. Kerri, to investigate the allegation.”

FAAN said, “It is based on the findings of the team that FAAN has shut down the KFC facility at the MMA, where the incident occurred.

“The authority has instructed that the KFC Management should tender an unreserved apology, in writing, to the affected PRM and a policy statement of non-discrimination be written and pasted conspicuously at the door post of their facility at MMIA before it resumes operation.

“FAAN uses this medium to express our unreserved apology to the affected Passenger with Reduced Mobility and assures all airport users that we shall continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the rights of every passenger are not infringed upon.”

The victim of the maltreatment, Adebola Daniel, son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, recounted his experience at the KFC outlet of the airport in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday via his X handle, @DebolaDaniel.

Daniel, a wheelchair user, described his ordeal as “the worst sort of public humiliation” he ever had.

The Ogun State-born noted that it all started during his planned trip to London from Lagos via a Virgin Atlantic airline.

He stated that in years past, while he was quite familiar with security and immigration processes, being a frequent traveller, he would visit the Oasis lounge of the airport to wait for his flight.

However, because “the lift to the lounge has been out of service,” for the past three years, he decided to find “solace” at the KFC outlet in the airport, alongside his wife and his three brothers, whom they were travelling together.

“Today I chose KFC – what a colossal mistake,” he bemoaned.

His tweets partly read, “Being disabled often rolls over my spirit, leaving behind a trail of shattered dignity and forgotten humanity. Nowhere more so than in Nigeria.

“I have never been the type of person to make a fuss or complain about my disability. My approach has always been ‘laissez-faire.’ Ultimately, it is what it is. It is a part of my identity and like everyone else, I have my days of self-doubt and confusion as to how/if I fit in society.

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place.

“Never has this been more true than it has ever been today when I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand @kfc @kfcnigeria at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable.”

Daniel stated that he “arrived at the airport as normal for my Virgin Atlantic flight to London. I’m a frequent flyer and I’m extremely familiar with all due processes at Murtala Muhammed Airport. Years ago, after all security and immigration formalities had been completed, I would normally go to the Oasis lounge to wait for my flight.

“For the past three years, the lift to the lounge has been out of service so I’ve often found solace in other establishments, sometimes lounges, sometimes restaurants such as @kfc @kfcnigeria.”

Daniel stated that as they were about to sit, a lady who is “apparently the manager” called out loudly, “No wheelchairs allowed.”

He added that upon hearing what she said, one of his brothers, Taiwo, asked what the lady meant, but “she refused to listen to reason and stood her ground that at @kfc @kfcnigeria Murtala Muhammed branch, wheelchairs and wheelchair users of all shapes and sizes were not permitted in the premises and we should leave immediately.

“My siblings and wife became instantly irate and proceeded to debate her position with her, ultimately cumulating in raised voices and strong verbal protests. If there’s one thing I hate more than anything in this life is to create a scene. I detest it. I do not like to draw attention to myself and as such I began pleading with my people that we should just leave.

“My wife took some video footage and my brothers took some pictures. There were at least five other witnesses at the scene, who tried to intervene as things unfolded. Eventually, our party departed to another lounge upset and quite frankly pissed off.”

Daniel stated that he wouldn’t let such an incident slide, adding that as another of his brothers alongside his wife met the lady at another time, she stressed “that the business does not allow wheelchairs into their premises,” while they took an audio record of her statement.

He recalled the lady saying that “she recently just transferred to that branch, it is something that has been drummed into them.

“It harkens back to dark periods in recent history… No wheelchairs allowed… No coloureds allowed…. No blacks allowed…,” saying, “Today, I felt less than human, like a guard dog not allowed into the house. Lonely and isolated.”

Daniel noted that he would “continue to escalate the matter “until I get a reasonable resolution and there’s no stopping me. You cannot treat people this way.

“There are approximately 27 million Nigerians living with some form of disability. That’s over 13% of the country. One in six people on the planet are disabled. You must not treat people this way.

“So my question to @kfc @kfcnigeria is simple. Does this represent your approach to disabled customers or will you be looking into this? Am I not human enough for KFC?”

He added an audio record of the conversation between his wife and the lady.

“Audio clip from my wife. I’m trying to get all the evidence up on here,” he wrote.

In response to the allegation before the outlet’s shutdown by the FAAN, KFC tweeted via its official X handle on Thursday morning, stating, “KFC is unwavering in our stance against bias or discrimination in any form, with inclusivity and respect as non-negotiable pillars of our values.

“However, this recent incident has underscored the pressing need for immediate action. We have embarked on efforts to address the situation and extend apologies and deeply regret the frustration and distress experienced by our guest.”

The food outlet added that it’s “urgently implementing sensitivity training for all our employees. This incident is not reflective of our standards, and we will act swiftly to rectify it.

“We are actively exploring solutions to equip our team members and establishments better to ensure that every guest feels genuinely welcomed and that we deliver empathetic customer service that proactively addresses the diverse needs of each guest.”

On Thursday, the General Manager, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Mrs Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, stated in a statement that the attention of her office “has been drawn to a viral story about the discrimination against Mr. Debola Daniel, a person with a disability in a wheelchair. This incident happened on 27th of March 2024, at a KFC restaurant located at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.”

The LASODA GM noted that “it frowns upon any form of discrimination, particularly against persons with disabilities. Every individual, regardless of their disability, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

“The agency is committed to ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities are protected and upheld in Lagos State. Discriminatory actions, such as those alleged in this incident, are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“LASODA, therefore, encouraged anyone who has experienced discrimination based on their disability to report such incidents to lasoda@lagosstate.gov.ng We are committed to working towards a society that is inclusive and accessible to all.”

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Troops Kill Notorious Terrorist Leader Junaidu, Others In Zamfara

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Troops of the Nigerian Army have killed a notorious terrorists’ leader, Junaidu Fasagora and scores of his fighters in Zamfara State.

The troops neutralized the terrorist and his cohorts on Wednesday during a counter insurgency operation in Tsafe general area of the state.

A statement issued by the Nigerian Army via its official X handle revealed that Junaidu Fasagora and his terrorists’ group have long been responsible for a series of kidnappings and other terrorism activities across several states in the North West.

According to the statement: “Nigerian Army troops deployed in Zamfara State for Counter terrorism Counter insurgency operations in the North West Region have neutralised a notorious terrorist leader, Junaidu Fasagora and scores of his fighters after a ferocious Artillery bombardment and ground battle in Tsafe general area of Zamfara State.

“Junaidu Fasagora and his terrorists’ group have long been responsible for a series of kidnappings and other terrorism activities against the populace across several states in the North West.

“Their elimination marks a crucial victory in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

“Troops remain committed to sustaining the ongoing operations against terrorism, insurgency and sundry crimes to restore safety and security to troubled areas”.

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