Police for VIPs: Commissioners get 7 days to comply with ban

State commissioners of police have seven days to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of police to withdraw policemen attached to VIPs in Nigeria.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon E Arase gave the ultimatum today. The officers were also expected to reduce the police personnel attached to political office holders.

He asked the commissioners to report on their compliance with the order within the time frame.

President Muhammadu Buhari had asked the Police High Command to withdraw their men serving individuals and deploy them to general police duties, when the police establishment briefed him on the state of the police on 20 August.

He also approved the recruitment of 10,000 men and women to beef up the police manpower of 370,000.

In compliance with the President’s directive, police orderlies posted to state governors have been reduced from 150 to 62.

In another development, the police IG, today visited the headquarters of the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, where he met with the INEC Acting Chairperson, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari.

The visit is aimed at cementing the existing relationship between NPF and INEC in ensuring the actualisation of INEC’s mandate.

The IGP stated that Police Commissioners nationwide have been directed to ensure adequate security at INEC offices and also at election tribunal sittings.

Acting INEC chairperson, Mrs Aminat Bala Zakari used the occasion to intimate the visiting IGP of INEC readiness to work with the NPF in ensuring successes in the forth coming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.