The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Friday disclosed that between January 2014 to April, 2016, 350 policemen died while discharging their statutory mandate in relation to enhancement of community peace and security in the country.
The IGP made the disclosure in Jos while speaking on the topic, “Police-Public Partnership in Prevention and Control of Violent Crimes and Conflicts in Nigeria”, organise by the Advancement Office of the University of Jos.
Arase said 272 others sustained various degree of injuries within the same period.
He also noted that cases of killing of police personnel have increased since 2009 due to activities of insurgents.
The Police boss added that in order to perform its function of preventing crimes, the police require diverse skills, noting that the work of police is more difficult in societies like Nigeria where there is mutual distrust between the police and the public.
“Assistance to the police is often withheld by the citizens,” he said.
Arase highlighted some of the factors that undermine effective partnership between the citizens and the police to include inability of the country to introduce required reforms for the re-orientation of the inherited police force in a manner that will integrate both the police and the community and lack of required resources.
Other factors, he noted, are widespread disrespect for the law by the citizens across all the sectors and strata of the society as well as resentment to for law, authority and police in Nigeria.
Arase also noted that policing in Nigeria is a challenge because of several inadequacies as inadequate logistic and resources especially transportation, telecommunication, arms and ammunition, accommodation for police services, inadequate personnel with training, skill and orietation required for policing and country with complex security challenges and inadequate resources for effective law enforcement, intelligence gathering, criminal and investigation and prosecution.
The Police Chief further decried lack of appropriate police stations, offices, facilities and accommodation, modern forensic laboratory and other technological aid to law enforcement agents, inappropriate use of fire arms and ammunitions, absence of reliable and comprehensive criminal data base and poor condition of service, low enumeration, low pension and benefits among others.
He pointed out that the management team under his watch has introduced several initiatives directed at promoting police community partnership to drive intelligence led policing and also bridge the gap between the public and the police.
