IGP, PACAC, SAN seek more funding for Police

The Nigerian Police Force requires a budgetary allocation of N1.03 trillion as against the N31.6 billion it received for it to function at utmost level, the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris has said.

The IGP said this yesterday during a training workshop for 340 officers of the Nigerian police towards the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 (ACJA) organised by the Centre for SocioLegal Studies (CSLS) in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force.

He urged the officers to shun corruption and abuse of rights of citizens, noting that anyone caught will be dealt with while those who demonstrate exemplary attitude will be rewarded.

The President of CSLS, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), said there was need to recruit more personnel and increase the resources available to the police to perform their duties, while appealing to the National Assembly to pass the National Police Trust Fund Bill into law as soon as possible.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, said while waiting for the National Assembly to pass the National Police Trust Fund Bill into law, the police leadership should create a transparent and credible platform for people to financially support the force.

Owasanoye and the representative of the President of Court of Appeal, Justice Emmanuel Agim, agreed that although underpayment is not a justification for police bribery and corruption, “the system should not be tempting people to engage in corruption.”