Insecurity: IMAN Tasks Police On Recruitment Of 50,000 New Personnel

Worried by the state of insecurity in the country, the Islamic Missionaries’ Association of Nigeria (IMAN), have called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to expedite action on approval given by President Bola  Tinubu for the recruitment of more than 50,000 police personnel.

It made the call at a press conference addressed by its vice chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, at IMAN Centre, New Yidi Road, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The organisation described the present level of insecurity in the country as alarming.

It added that, after their recruitment, the 50,000 police personnel should be well-trained, and that more police stations and posts should be established in Nigeria’s hinterlands.

“Criminals are taking advantage of the lack of police posts in the hinterlands to wreak havoc on the people.

With more personnel, equipment and facilities supported by newly trained forest guards, the insecurity problems we are facing in Nigeria will reduce drastically,” it added.

The group, however, commended the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Airforce and the Nigerian Navy for their efforts so far in tackling insecurity across the country.

It also called on the leadership of the armed forces to drastically increase the numerical strength of the forces and provide them with the required training and retraining. arms and ammunition, and other facilities needed to function very well at all times.

The group lamented that:” As the nation’s leadership spends so many financial resources annually, so also the insecurity continues to trend. No doubt, several factors are responsible. One of them is the reactive posture of our security forces to the crimes being committed.

“Time is long overdue for us to subdue the enemies of the people and the state known as criminals and evil doers. Regardless of their sponsors, they cannot overrun this country if our security forces work perfectly in tandem with the resources at their disposal. Our security forces must take the attack aimed at eliminating these miscreants proactively instead of being reactive to the carnage being committed by them.

“In particular, we call on the Nigeria Police leadership to hasten action on approval given by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the recruitment of 50,000 police personnel and ensure that they are well trained with more police stations and police posts established in the hinterlands of Nigeria.

“Criminals are taking advantage of the lack of police posts in the hinterlands to wreak havoc on the people. With more personnel, equipment and facilities supported by newly trained forest guards, the insecurity problems we are facing in Nigeria will reduce drastically.”

IMAN, however, appealed to all communities in the country to educate their citizens on the need to be proactive in providing reliable information to security agents.

On the alleged Christian genocide in the country, the religious body described it as ill-motivated and generated to cause chaos in the country.

It added:” IMAN maintains that since 2009, insurgency broke out through Boko Haram that graduated to terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping and abduction for ransom. Muslims are the highest victims as these deadly crimes featured in about 14 out of the 19 states in the north, with casualties running to thousands, if not millions.

“Nigerian Muslims have participated in several Inter-religious dialogues with Christian leaders and followers. We have also sponsored many of these dialogues to promote unity in diversity as patriotic citizens of this country. We believe that some selfish and unpatriotic elements in our society were responsible for the false claim, which made America focus negatively on Nigeria. This must not be swept under the carpet.

“IMAN therefore calls for investigation of the false report leading to the declaration of Nigeria as a country of particular concern.”