The Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 40,000 constabulary men into the Nigeria Police Force.
Following the approval, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate recruitment into the police at commands across the country.
In compliance with the IGP’s directive, Lagos State Police Command has set up a screening committee, comprising local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC).
Briefing journalists after meeting with members of the screening committee on Wednesday, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu, explained that the meeting was to notify the committee of the initiative and the need to ensure that character checks were carried out before recruiting members of the public as constabulary police officers (CPOs).
Odumosu said: “We are highly elated because they are coming in to assist us. Police can’t work without information. They will serve as our eyes and informants. The constabulary policemen are not replacing the community policing structure, but they complement the work of the police.
“The meeting is about practicality of community policing. It is a sensitisation step towards actualising the Federal Government’s decision to bring community policing onboard, through the IGP, so that special constables will be recruited into the police.
“It is going to reduce shortage of manpower in the police but, more importantly, it is going to be symbiotic: inflow of information, and to make people have a sense o f belonging.
“The modalities for recruitment and their duties are stated in sections 49 and 50 of the Police Act and Regulations. They (CPOs) are unlike the SPY Police because they are going to be working in police stations, like regular policemen. They have same rights and privileges as the conventional police. So, they may be deployed to work at the counter, or be sent invite somebody to the station.
“Part of the qualifications is age, as written in the Police Act, from 21 years and 50 years. There may be variations in other areas, like regular constable that has at least Secondary School Certificate Examination, theirs is not required because it is a voluntary service.
“Their services will be restricted to the communities they reside in. Unlike regular police that are transferred, they will not be transferred outside their communities.
If they leave the communities where they are recruited, they cannot work from their new locations, as their services are not transferable. They will have to undergo training with us after the screening committee recruits them.”
In her remarks chairman of Idu Victoria Island Local Council Development Area, Princess Basirat Abiodun, said that the project was long overdue, adding that security was the duty of all and not strictly for the police alone.
She noted that recruitment of people with good character as CPOs would be better done by community leaders, since they were closer to the people.
She also ruled out the possibility of the recruitment being hijacked by politicians or having ethnic biases. She stated that Lagos, being a metropolitan state, would accommodate all those that were qualified.
Asked about the difference between CPOs and Amotekun, the security outfit set up be the South-West states, she explained that,
“Amotekun is about South-West, it has its own segment. But this one is federal. So, these two can work together for peace and security, because security is germane, everybody must key in.”
