The leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has debunked reports of its plan to recruit some repentant terrorists.
DIG Isyaku Mohammed, deputy inspector general of police, in charge of the North Central Zone, made the clarification during a stakeholders meeting with officers and men of the Kwara state police command, traditional institution, religious heads, transport unions among others in Ilorin, the state capital.
The police boss asked community leaders, religious leaders and security chiefs to stop signing recommendation letters for people of questionable characters and tasked the leaders to identify and expose criminals so they are not allowed into the system.
He said the fallout when such persons find their way into the system will be for the leaders who sign recommendation forms for such persons and their communities.
“Traditional rulers and DPOs do sign for those persons. And I don’t think they’ll recommend someone who has been involved in criminality in the name of “I have repented”.
“I was privileged to serve in the North East. In their own wisdom the military took de-radicalised members of Boko Haram, reoriented them and returned them to society.
“There was a town hall that I went to. When I was in DC operation in Yobe. “They came to sensitise the community and told the people to accept the deradicalised people because they’ve repented. But they were rejected by all members of the community. They said they should move them to another community where they don’t know them.
“They said, ‘I can’t see somebody who destroyed my parents’ businesses coming back with empowerment while my parents are still there, without assistance. So it becomes a subject of discussion. But it’s a federal government decision and the police can’t do anything about it.
“The only thing we can do is to protect our own territory and ensure that such repentant people do not find their way into the Nigeria Police. And we are doing everything we can to make sure that not only repented criminals, but also bad boys, we don’t allow them to find their way to the Nigeria police.”
So you, our stakeholders, community heads, etc., do not sign for them, do not identify them, do not expose them. We will not allow them to access the system. And if you do, after training, we are sending them back to you to come and police your places. So, you suffer the consequences.”
The development comes as Nigerian Army is expected to shortlist more than 40 “repentant” Boko Haram insurgents for the 91st Regular Recruits Intake (RRI 91), reports said.
The DIG said a joint border patrol would be launched to check crimes and criminality in Kwara state, as a border state.
“Kwara state shares boundaries with states like Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Niger and Benin Republic. “Thus, the joint border patrol would be carried out along its border corridors to prevent criminality and criminals.”
He said the IGP had directed all the DIGs to go round states within their zones and interact with stakeholders to get on the spot assessment, and proffer solutions to the security situation as well as challenges of the police command and its officers.
Community policing is a security strategy to fight the current security challenges in the country, he said.
