Police Needs Overhauling to Meet Rising Challenges of Insecurity – Buhari

• Buhari reveals why it important to overhaul the Police structure.
• Explains the reason for the return of Police Affairs Ministry.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said it is necessary to overhaul and reposition the entire structure of the Nigerian Police Force and prime it with modern technological gadgets in order to meet rising challenges across the nation.

The President who stated this on Friday while hosting traditional rulers from the North led by His, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III at the Presidential Villa also said an intelligence loop among all security outfits has been created.

According to him, the President said the ongoing reform of the police will include recruitment of more hands, cultivation of stronger local intelligence and networking with communities, traditional rulers and adequate training.

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Buhari also noted that the return of the Ministry of Police Affairs was purposely to drive the new initiative of ensuring proper provision of security for lives and property, with proactive intelligence gathering to nip crimes in the bud before they escalate.

“I have decided to meet with Your Highnesses to assure you that the government is determined to tackle and deal decisively with all security challenges facing us as a nation.

“This consultation, therefore, is to engage you, our royal fathers, so that, collectively, we can arrive at solutions to any and all security problems in the country.

“We must all play our part to finally address these security challenges, particularly traditional rulers, in your respective communities, where you feel the pulse of the people, being the closest to the populace at the grassroots level,’’ he said.

President Buhari, therefore, urged the traditional rulers to provide more support to security agencies with their versatile knowledge of communities and individuals.

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“These policies and programmes include a robust revamping of police intelligence gathering capacity and the significant boosting of the numbers of security personnel in our local communities. This in specific terms will include recruiting more police officers and doing so whenever possible from their local government areas, where they would then be stationed in the best traditions of policing worldwide.

“Working with the State governments also, we intend to improve the equipping of the police force with advanced technology and equipment that can facilitate their work. To drive this, I recently created a full-fledged Ministry of Police Affairs.

“As I said during my meeting with the Traditional Rulers from the South-West, directives have been issued to the appropriate federal authorities to speedily approve licensing for States requesting the use of drones to monitor forests and other criminal hideouts,’’ he added.