Several policemen were declared missing at the Gwoza Police Training School in Borno state early last month.
Answering questions from newsmen shortly after a close door meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, the Inspector General of police admitted: “I must tell you it is just less than 20 (policemen that are still missing), but we are still concern with every one of them and unless we are able to account for each and everyone of them, we will not relent in that efforts of tracing them.”
He said however that the turn out of those missing has been impressive “because, we have been able to trace some of the officers who have reported, either back to their bases or their families.
“When you go through what they went through, the likelihood of you knowing what to do is not very tenable. There is a possibility that the decision of what to do may not be easily comprehensible. “So, some they went back to their homes but our concern is that once they are in safety, we are satisfied and the process of bringing them back to their units has already commenced.
The Inspector General said that every police officer faces all sort of characters, including crimina once he is on duty and is therefore constantly in danger of being attacked.
“So, to us, facing dangers in the performance of police duties is not new. What is new is that this time around, the enemy is highly armed and that is why the military is there to support us in fighting them.”
On the ongoing reorganization in police, Suleiman said that it is meant to repositioning officers for what he called advancement, adding: “what we are trying to do is a normal thing. It has always been done. We access performance and also take into cognizance vacancies available. We are all aware that quite a number of commissioners of police retired recently. Some of them were course mates of the retired Inspector General, so they left along with him after their 35 years in service.
“So, it is just an effort to fill vacancies and, of course, to reposition the officers, based on performance, to face the challenges.
The police boss said that his priority is to change the culture that has been there for too long in the system, saying that this is a big challenge for him, “and I consider it most important and most difficult. I should know that I am going to make a lot of changes. Those involved in the changes will tell you changing the culture, changing the character, changing the attitudes of personnel is very difficult.
“Naturally, it comes with resistance, it omes with a lot of challenges on its own. Somehow someone has to do it and I felt not minding the challenges I will face, the good thing is that we have started. “Like I said, it is a difficult thing to do but it will take a little while to see it through.”
[myad]
