LAGOS—Fear and anxiety have gripped officers and men of the Nigeria police force resident in police barracks in Lagos State, following directives by police authorities for work to immediately commence in the rehabilitation of barracks located in different parts of the state.
The Vanguard reports that following this development, there are fears that no fewer than a million officers and men of the force and their families would be ejected from the barracks to give way for the commencement of works at the barracks.
Already, a directive to that effect had been issued to those that would be affected by the exercise, while stern directives had been given to the Nigeria Police Force Property Development and Construction Company to commence phase 1 of the reconstruction exercise in the affected barracks.
An official directive to that effect sighted by Vanguard dated May 15, 2024, stated that the execution of the barracks redevelopment programme in Lagos would cover the following barracks: Ijeh Police barracks, Bourdillion barracks, Falomo; Police Mounted Troops- Ribadu, Ikoyi; Alausa police barracks, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja; Federal Highway Patrol barracks, Yaba and Iponri Police barracks, Surulere.
The directive further said: “Payment of compensation to verified occupants of the listed barracks will commence immediately ahead of demolition of dilapidated structures and that the exercise is to pave way for the construction of new structures which will commence in earnest.”
It also said personnel should be deployed to work closely with the company officials and their partners to ensure that every occupant vacates the barracks as soon as they are paid their dues and they should ensure completion of the process on or before May 30, 2024, to ensure that developers move to sites.
Some of the affected policemen that spoke with Vanguard lamented that such exercises had been carried out in the past, especially whenever the date for the tenure of a serving Inspector-General of Police approaches.
According to the policemen who insisted on remaining anonymous for security of their jobs, the police barracks at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, officers quarters in Ikeja GRA, Officers Mess at Zone 2, Onikan suffered same fate at the expiration of the tenure of the Inspectors General of Police that served in the past.
Contacted, Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi said a text message should be sent to him. However, at press time, he was yet to reply to the text message sent to him.
