Police spend $3.2m in 3 months on peacekeeping

Abuja – The Nigeria Police have spent $3.2 million on their personnel in peacekeeping operations in the last three months, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has said.

Abubakar announced this on Friday shortly after inaugurating the Peacekeeping Hall at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The IG explained that officers deployed for such missions were paid three months allowance in advance before departing the country to encourage them to effectively carry out their duties.

“They are given food to take them for three months as well as the required equipment,’’ he said.

Responding to a question, Abubakar said that police personnel could replicate their exceptional performance in peacekeeping mission at home if provided with equipment.

According to him, Nigeria is the only country in the world where you could find a police station without light, vehicle and other necessary equipment and yet the police are expected to perform.

“With equipment, we will be able to make the country more secure; we can perform better at home if we can do it abroad. Some of our challenges include lack of equipment.’’

Mr C.K. Aderanti, the Deputy Commission of Police and Director of the Police Peacekeeping Mission, said with the required support, the police would continue to contribute to efforts to maintain peace across the globe.

The   Nigeria Police currently has  800 personnel on peacekeeping operations in Liberia, Haiti, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, East Timor, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea Bissau.

In another development, the Police Insurance Scheme, on Friday released N36.6 million to the relatives of officers who died in a police helicopter crash on March 14 this year in Jos.

Residents of the site, whose buildings were damaged by the crash, also benefited from the money.

Four police officers, including Haruna John, then Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, and Mr Yelwa Pwol-Ja, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, died in the crash.

Presenting the cheque leafs to the beneficiaries, the IG described the moment as a sad one to him and the entire police force.

“It is a moment to remember dead colleagues who had meritoriously served the nation. We shall continue to pray for them,’’ he said.

Abubakar said the police would continue to reward, those who deserved to be rewarded adding that the contribution of the late officers to the nation would continue to be remembered.

He urged the relatives of the officers not to see the money as price for the souls of their beloved ones but a means to alleviate and cushion their hardship, and promised that the force would keep its promises to them.

Responding, the wife of later ACP Yelwa, Aisha, said it was not their wish to see their spouses and relatives dead in order to collect the benefits adding that God knows why the crash occurred. (NAN)