Senator reveals major problem confronting Nigerian police

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Haliru Jika on Friday identified a lack of funding as the number one problem hampering the Nigeria Police Force.

Jika revealed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“The main problem of the Nigerian police is funding, funding, funding,” he said.

In a 2019 survey, the Nigerian police were identified as the most corrupt public institution in the country.

On Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari signed, into law, the Nigeria Police Bill 2020.

The act is expected to establish an “appropriate funding framework for the police”, according to a statement from the Presidency.

Along with the Police Trust Fund act, which received presidential assent in 2019, Jika believes the new law will help to improve police finances.

Ford Foundation Director in West Africa, Innocent Chukwuma, who also appeared on Sunrise Daily, said the act was a “welcome development” although it won’t solve all the problems bedeviling the police.

While noting that he was yet to sight the version of the bill signed by the President, he said the new law will help to address the issue of fundamental rights, as it relates to police operations.

One of the issues the bill addresses is the setting of a term-limit for the Inspector-General of Police to four years.

Previously, the President appointed and fired the police chief at will.

However, Chukwuma lamented the lack of oversight on the appointment of the IGP.

Under the new law (the version from the National Assembly seen by Chukwuma), the President retained the power to unilaterally appoint the IGP, with the Police Council only serving in an advisory role.