- Say recruitment process threat to intelligence gathering
Some security experts have said the continuous existence of special constabularies in the Nigeria Police Force was contributing more havoc than good to the fight against insecurity in the country.
They called for complete overhaul and amendment to the law that created the constabularies, saying that the lack of remuneration for the recruited volunteers is creating room for bribery and other forms of illegalities in the force.
Recall that in November 2020, the Police Force recruited over 25,000 special constabularies to assist in community policing.
The then Police Affairs Minister, Mohammed Dingyadi, said the special constabulary would complement regular police officers, who were being overwhelmed by rising insecurity nationwide.
Consequently, many citizens were engaged in various states under the enabling Nigerian Police Act 2020, particularly Part XIII, which specifies the mode of appointment, equipment, suspension, instruction and others.
Section 112 of the NPF Act says that a person’s service as a special constable shall render them eligible for a stipend as may be determined by the IGP and approved by the Police Council. It also mentions that reimbursement would be made to special constables in respect of expenses incurred by them in connection with their attendance at periods of instruction and as compensation for loss of (other) earnings during periods of full-time duty.
The law is not exact on how much this stipend should be and is also silent on the agency responsible for its payment, a development that has pushed thousands of persons working as special constabularies to survive on bribes and extortion.
Meanwhile, the same law specifically stipulates that the constables shall not benefit from the Police Reward Fund, be entitled to living accommodation at the government’s expense, and not be entitled to pension.
In addition to this, some of the stipends the law provides for may be withdrawn by a senior police officer if, in their opinion, they have a good reason for doing so.
While the constabularies have contributed to improving security in some communities nationwide, their remuneration and welfare remain challenging, as it is to the Nigeria Police generally.
In the absence of a proper structure and compliance with the rules of engagement, there have been cases of abuses that are causing stakeholders to see the continuous existence of the constabularies without pay as danger to community policing of which the initiative is meant to strengthen.
Recently, a video went viral showing two special constabularies in Oyo State demanding money from a Dutch female biker tourist who was touring African countries.
After a public outcry, the constabularies, identified as Jimoh Lukman and Kareem Fatai were dismissed.
Another set of special constabularies were arrested in Kano State on allegation of extortion.
Earlier, in September 2022, a large group of special Police constabularies stormed the streets of Osogbo, Osun State capital, protesting non-payment of their allowances for 18 months.
The protesters dressed in police uniform held placards and flyers with inscriptions that read “pay us now”, “we are hungry”, and “we are dying”.
Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, however dismissed the protest, explaining then that members of the special constabulary scheme are mere volunteers and not regular police officers due for remuneration.
Aside from remuneration, the rules of engagement and eligibility came to the fore in Kano where the Kano State Police Command enlisted 50 repentant thugs as special constabulary, sparking outrage.
The state Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel, who justified the initiative, noted that the command was battling to secure the state with an acute manpower deficit.
However, as non-payment of allowances persists, most of the special constables have resorted to collecting money from civilians to work on complaints lodged at the police stations.
The Point gathered that conventional police officers often use special constables to extort Nigerians, giving them an opportunity to deny the crime if the constabularies are caught.
It was gathered that the bribe being taken by these special constabularies serves as their means of survival.
Aside from working without pay, hundreds have reportedly lost their lives since taking an oath to defend the country.
Even when they are not allowed to carry arms, the special constables, who also dress in police uniforms confront armed thieves and perform other risky functions in the respective communities they are posted.
No fewer than four cops including two constabularies were killed during simultaneous bank robberies in Osun State.
On June 2, 2021, armed robbers operating at some commercial banks in Ikire also attacked the Ikire Divisional Police headquarters, shot and killed the officers.
Meanwhile, security experts have criticized the absorption of repentant criminals into the force, saying the lack of proper welfare for the recruits is crippling community policing and encouraging bribery and other criminal acts.
According to a security expert, Major Hassan Abdulaziz (rtd), regardless of the intention and justification for the recruitment of criminals into police constabulary, the process remains a threat to intelligence gathering.
The retired military intelligence officer said, “As far as I am concerned, those people are not supposed to be recruited into the constabulary service because that job is meant for people who are not employed. Constabulary jobs are meant for people who are engaged in a trade.
“Constabulary is not a full-time service but because of lack of employment, people have turned it to full-time police work. Now, bringing those repentant thugs into constabulary service is a complete threat to security. We always emphasized intelligence gathering and these people are criminals and by the time you map out strategies and it eventually leaks, don’t be surprised.
“What the police ought to have done was to make them voluntary informants to assist with information on crimes in their environment. But giving them uniforms is equated to giving them authority to arrest and this is dangerous to our service. Take for instance what happened with the civilian JTF in Maiduguri.
“Some of them were co-opted to serve in the civilian taskforce to give information but in the end, some of them were caught leaking operational information to terrorists. Some of them were rehabilitated by the Federal Government and equipped with some form of trade. Incidentally, they returned into the enclave of the terrorists,” Abdulaziz noted.
Another security expert and retired military officer, Biodun Herbetson, said there are tendencies that the initiative would not attain 100 per cent success.
Herbetson revealed that even if there are visible advantages, the disadvantage of admitting a criminal into the security circle could be regrettable.
Also calling for overhauling of the special constabulary across the country, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, a former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, said security is not for the government alone, but that of every Nigerian, and called for a citizen-based approach to security in Nigeria.
Arase said there was a need to change their uniform and scrap the services in states where they were not remunerated.
He said, “The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had in September at Ibadan said the special constabulary would be reviewed on the ground that it was not yielding the desired result.
“The Police Service Commission is no longer comfortable with the organisation and operations of the Special Police Constabulary nationwide.
“The Commission is already in contact with the Inspector General of Police on the need to overhaul the organisation and operations of the outfit.
There have been several reports of unprofessional conduct by officers of the outfit, a quasi-Police formation created to assist in community policing.”
