Almost two months after the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, ordered the withdrawal of police protection for individuals, it was learnt that many politicians and VIPs still enjoy the privilege.
As state police commands insist they are complying with the directives, our correspondents noticed that many individuals, including musicians and other entertainment celebrities, who had hitherto enjoyed the escort by policemen, still have them in place, in defiance of the IG’s order.
From calculations, there are about 470 Nigerians to a policeman, considering that there are 317,800 policemen in Nigeria with a population of about 174 million people.
This buttresses experts’ opinion that Nigeria has one of the most understaffed police force in the world.
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari underscored this problem when he ordered the recruitment of additional 10,000 policemen.
Through findings made from many of the states of the federation, We learnt that many of the policemen in the country’s short-staffed force are providing personal security for VIPs.
In Kwara State, even though the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, said he did not know the number of police officers that are currently posted to provide security to politicians, traditional rulers, business moguls, industrialists and other individuals in the state, a senior police officer familiar with police postings in the state, said about 200 police officers provide such security services in the state to private people apart from the governor, deputy governor, state House of Assembly Speaker and Chief Judge; who are constitutionally granted such service.
Okasanmi told one of our correspondents that aside those people, individuals were also provided with police personnel for security if they applied and are found worthy.
According to him, the Special Protection Unit, which the Kwara State Command does not have, is responsible for such.
He said the unit, which comprised Kwara, Ekiti and Kogi States, is based in Zone 8 headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi State capital.
Okasanmi said, “The police force is to protect lives and property. There are some people, apart from the general security cover, because of the kind of work they do and the business they are into, they deserve to be protected.
“I know that some people in the category of industrialists, manufacturers, entertainers, even journalists may be entitled. If they apply, they will be given by the authorities. But I do not have their data.”
Even though the Niger State Police Command denied attaching police personnel to people beyond principal officers of the legislature, executive and judiciary in the state, it was learnt that some individuals still enjoy the benefit depending on how rich they are.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, told Saturday PUNCH that businessmen and entertainers were not constitutionally entitled to police detail in the state.
He, however, said that there were classes of individuals by virtue of their positions that were entitled to security detail.
On whether the command receives money to deploy policemen to politicians, Elkana said, “We don’t ask for money before we deploy any of our men to them because it is their constitutional right to apply for police protection to enable them to carry out their duties.”
One of our correspondents reports that in Ondo State, politicians, businessmen and wealthy Nigerians alike still get police attachment in the state.
A source said this is only possible if heads of the department where the policemen would be released are bribed.
“Many of our men lobby to be attached to politicians and big men. You know how many people have got speedy promotion because of that? There are many other material and monetary benefits policemen get from such personalities. Let’s be frank, who does not want to be close to big men in Nigeria?” the source said.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Mr. Femi Joseph, said the Special Protection Unit of the police force headquarters is always in charge of deployment for such assignments.
A police corporal in Benue State told one of our correspondents that some of his colleagues paid as much as N50,000 to their bosses in order to be attached to influential citizens in the state.
The police corporal, who pleaded anonymity, said, ‘’Since l joined the police in 2010, I have been attached to a number of prominent individuals. I won’t lie to you. We get stipend from them and I always share with my boss.
“Recently, I failed to remit part of the stipend and I was recalled. Yes, many of us bribe our bosses to be posted either to man roads or guard residences of prominent citizens because that is where we make much money.”
But the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, Bashir Makama, told one of our correspondents that he had warned all officers in charge of various units to immediately withdraw all unauthorised police guards from private individuals and corporate bodies across the state.
Makama, who spoke through the police public relations officer in the state, Moses Yamu, said he could not disclose the actual number of policemen currently attached to politicians, businessmen and other individuals in the state, adding that the “list of those requesting for police security guard (in the state) is endless.”
He admitted that some policemen, especially the junior ones, always induced their bosses with money for them to be sent out to guard prominent citizens and corporate offices, but warned that the command would no longer tolerate such bribery.
He also denied reports that those who get police attachments pay money to the police for such requests.
In Lagos State, even though many entertainment celebrities who used to enjoy regular police security have lost the privilege, one of our correspondents noticed that a few of them might still have such police details in place.
An entertainment celebrity, CEO of Five Star Music, Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money, was recently seen with a police escort.
Also, the former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, was recently seen at a function with a police escort.
A police source told our correspondent that those who had yet to have their escorts withdrawn in the state are “powerful” individuals who might have gone beyond the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to retain theirs.
Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmus, said she did not have information on the number of policemen still on special protection assignments in the command.
According to her, the command has complied with the IG’s directive to withdraw policemen attached to individuals.
She said, “But if you can justify why you as an individual still need special protection, you will be availed such protection by the special protection unit.”
Asked if she could provide the number of policemen currently on such assignments, she said she did not have the number by heart and could not readily lay her hands on the information.
Meanwhile, the Force headquarters defended itself. It said the withdrawal of police personnel attached to politicians and prominent persons was being done gradually.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Donald Awunah, explained that state commands had been directed to begin the withdrawal of policemen, especially, anti-riot policemen on bodyguard duty to dignitaries.
Findings show that the Special Protection Unit of the police is in charge of assigning policemen to politicians and prominent persons for personal protection duties.
It was learnt that the SPU, while under the state commands, is administered at the police headquarters by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Mohammed.
When contacted for the number of policemen deployed for personal protection duties from the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, the FCT Public Relations Officer, Manzah Anjuguri, referred one of our correspondents to the SPU, saying the command was not in charge of the unit.
He said, “Though we are in operational control of the personnel in the SPU, the command is not in charge of them administratively, so if you need any information on them, you would have to contact the force headquarters in charge of the unit.”
(Punch)
