Extortion, rights abuse signs of unprofessionalism in police — DIG

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The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Intelligence Department, DIG Zachariah Fera-Achinyan, has described extortion, human rights abuses and other forms of misconduct by police personnel as clear signs of unprofessionalism and indiscipline.

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Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement and consultative meeting with the Deputy Inspector-General of Police coordinating the North-East, held on Monday at the Gombe State Police Command Headquarters, Fera-Achinyan said officers who engage in extortion often live beyond their legitimate means.

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“A disciplined policeman is always a disciplined policeman. A disciplined policeman is a professional policeman. A professional policeman is a complete policeman,” he said.

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According to him, professionalism in policing requires sacrifice and contentment.

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“If you see a policeman indulging in acts of extortion, that policeman is not a good manager of resources. You see a policeman wearing the rank of a corporal and living like a DSP. His salary cannot measure up to that lifestyle, and that tendency is the main driver of extortion,” he said.

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He urged members of the public to recognise such conduct as a departure from the ethics of the profession.

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“So, a policeman who extorts—something should ring a bell in your brain that he is not a professional policeman. A professional policeman will live within his means,” Achinyan added.

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Recalling the culture of modesty that existed in the Force in earlier years, the DIG said officers were encouraged to acquire only what their earnings could sustain.

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“In those days, when we joined the police, they would give an officer a loan to buy a car. They would give a corporal the same loan to buy a bicycle. If the corporal wants to drive a car, what will he do? He will go against his calling,” he said.

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The DIG further condemned other forms of misconduct, including abuse of human rights, drinking while on duty and poor appearance.

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“A policeman who extorts money, abuses human rights, drinks while on duty or wears a tattered uniform is not a professional policeman. Run away from such police officers because the moment a police officer is shabbily dressed, he behaves shabbily.

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“You cannot see a well-kept policeman behaving in a manner that is not expected of him. That is why we are out to deal with them”, he added.

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On the issue of manpower shortage in the Nigeria Police Force, the DIG acknowledged the challenge, noting that Nigeria falls short of the United Nations’ recommended police-to-population ratio.

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“The United Nations standard is one policeman to 400 people. Nigeria has barely over 300,000 police officers serving a population of more than 200 million people,” he said.

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He explained that the shortfall informed the adoption of community policing strategies across the country.

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“That is why we brought forward the issue of community policing so that we can work together with communities to police the environment,” he stated.

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Fera-Achinyan, however, assured Nigerians that efforts were underway to improve the situation through ongoing recruitment.

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“We are about to recruit 50,000 police officers to increase our manpower,” he said.

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He disclosed that Gombe State would benefit from the exercise, with each of its 11 local government areas expected to receive 96 newly recruited officers.

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“Each local government in Gombe State will get 96 newly recruited police officers. With this number, I believe they are going to cover a lot,” the DIG concluded.

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