IGP Advocates Increased Funding and Resources for Over 1,500 Divisional Headquarters with Four Patrol Vehicles per Division

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has highlighted the urgent need for increased funding and resources to address challenges faced by the Nigeria Police Force.

Speaking before the House of Representatives, the IGP emphasized that each of the 1,537 divisional police headquarters across the country requires a minimum of four patrol vehicles.

Identifying poor funding and inadequate manpower as significant challenges, Mr Egbetokun shed light on the difficult operating environment for the police.

He acknowledged the gross inadequacy in the current police manpower, emphasising that the United Nations’ recommended ratio of 1 officer to 400 citizens is far from attainable in Nigeria.

The existing ratio in Nigeria stands at one officer to 1,000 citizens, underscoring the need to double the manpower.

The IGP highlighted the enormity of the task, stating, “We have 1,537 police divisional headquarters across 774 local government areas.”

However, obtaining operational vehicles for these divisions remains a formidable challenge. He revealed that some divisions lack any patrol vehicles, while others struggle with insufficient resources.

To address this deficiency, Mr Egbetokun stressed the requirement of at least four functional patrol vehicles for each of the 1,537 police divisional headquarters.

This would translate to a total need of approximately 6,148 vehicles to adequately equip the divisions.

Source: Daily Nigerian