The Kwara State Police Command has reacted to a protest by Police Special Constabularies over alleged non-payment of salaries.
The protest, which went viral online, caused serious traffic gridlock along the popular Ahmadu Bello Way in Ilorin, the State capital.
But, in a press statement on Saturday, signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Okasanmi Ajayi (anipr), the Command dissociated itself from the protest, saying those in the footage were constabularies and not regular Policemen.
The statement reads; “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to dissociate herself from a video already spiralling on Facebook, regarding a protest by some purported policemen over the non-payment of one year salary.
“For purposes of clarification, the characters seen in the video are police special constabularies recruited to complement the operation of community policing. It is important to state that the concept of community policing and recruitment of special constabularies is voluntary, meaning they are not on monthly remuneration like the conventional policemen.
“This much the constabularies were briefed before taking up the job, besides, the job is not a full-time job.
“The commissioner of police Kwara State, CP Assayomo psc (+) wishes to state categorically, that the police are not owing any policeman or woman any salary, nor is the police owing the special constabularies salary. Therefore, members of the public are advised to disregard the viral video as it was designed to embarrass the police and to draw undue sympathy from the public.
“The men and women of the special constabulary are at liberty to honourably disengage from the service if they so wish.”
