IGP Wants Additional 190,000 Officers to Boost Police Strength
Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has said the current 370,000 strength of the police force is inadequate to effectively secure the country.
He advocated for the recruitment of additional 190,000 officers to meet the United Nations (UN) recommended ratio of one policeman to 600 citizens.
Egbetokun stated this on Wednesday at the Defence Week for Senior Executive Course 45 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, kuru near Jos.
The police chief said the UN recommended ratio could be achieved with the increase of yearly recruitment of officers from the present 10,000 to 20,000 as from next year.
The statement reads, “The Nigerian Police requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at par with the United Nations recommendation.
Read Also:
“Inadequate manpower has resulted in low police presence and could hinder the Federal Government’s industrialisation efforts.
“Without sufficient police presence and response capabilities, industrial sites are vulnerable to criminal activities, thereby, hampering economic progress.
“As part of my recommendation for this lecture, my office will liaise with the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the Minister of Police Affairs.
“I will recommend to government the need to increase the annual intake of personnel into the force from 10,000 to 20,000, starting from 2024,” Egbetokun said.
Mr Egbetokun further called on the federal government to direct the minister of finance to provide funds for the procurement of modern crime-fighting equipment for the force.
