The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, has accused the Inspector General of Police, Mr Alkali Baba, of not showing serious concern to the plight of policemen constantly being assaulted or killed by individuals and gangs of criminals in recent times.
Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
He expressed regret that the morale of the policemen across the country is currently low because they knew that the Police authorities would not do anything if they sustain an injury or die in the course of duty.
He challenged the IGP to wake up to his responsibilities of protecting the personnel under him.
Fadahunsi said the series of attacks and killings of policemen across the country without any drastic action against the perpetrators.
He said, “The morale of the police personnel is low these days because the authorities are not showing much concern to their welfare.
“Criminals are just killing policemen like chickens all over the place and the Inspector General of Police is not talking or taking drastic actions.
“The danger in this is that if the trend continues, it means that we would consistently rely on the military to maintain internal security.
“We cannot continue like this. The IGP and his authorities should wake up and make sure that he guarantees adequate protection of all the policemen in the country.”
“The IGP’s nonchalant attitudes towards the welfare of the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force is dampening their morale. That is why they run away whenever they sight the hoodlums armed with pump action guns.
“The Police is the head of the internal security, the IGP should wake up to his responsibilities.
“There is also the need to decentralise the Nigeria Police Force so that their activities would be efficient because crimes are being committed,” he added.
There was a public outcry recently against the professor after she allegedly assaulted a female police officer attached to her.
The Police Orderly, Teju Moses, who was assigned to a female professor identified as Duke Zainab Abiola, was said to have been admitted to a hospital after she was allegedly tortured on the order of her principal.
The incident, it was gathered, happened at the Area 11 axis of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The orderly was said to have been assigned to the don by the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.
A video clip showing the officer in uniform bleeding, seated on the floor, and asking to be taken to the hospital for medical attention has since gone viral.
However, a magistrate’s court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday, remanded the Professor, alongside her domestic staff for assaulting police orderly, Inspector Moses, who was attached to her.
The PUNCH reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, condemned the alleged assault of the policewoman by the don and her domestic staff comprising the housemaid, Rebecca Enechido, and a male suspect currently at large.
The victim claimed that Duke, an activist, grievously assaulted her in the company of some accomplices on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at her residence in Garki, Abuja, due to her (policewoman) refusal to breach professional ethics by carrying out menial and domestic chores at her house.
However, at the Court on Friday, Duke-Abiola was denied bail and the matter was adjourned till October 5, 2022.
The magistrate also ordered that she should be remanded in Suleja Prison pending the adjourned date.
