IGP trains 79 Squadron Commanders for 2023 polls

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has commenced a two-week residential refresher training for all 79 Squadron Commanders of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ila-Orangun, Osun State to ensure a secured and hitch-free environment before, during, and after the 2023 general election.

The training, which commenced on January 9 to 23, 2023, is geared at strengthening the operational efficiency of the Squadron Commanders and for more effective tactical deployment of their personnel to generally reduce crimes to their barest minimum in Nigeria.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, some of the focus of the course includes the use of contemporary riot control gadgets for suppression of riots and other serious disturbances, crowd control techniques, ambush and counter-ambush, diplomatic protection, combating internal security challenges, and insurgency as well as gun safety and weapons handling.

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The IGP, however, urged the police officers to effectively make use of the opportunities the training would offer them and improve on their crime control mechanisms and general safety strategies, especially towards having free, fair, and credible 2023 general election.

Meanwhile, Baba has met with representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to discuss possible areas of partnership to strengthen the oversight and accountability mechanisms of the Nigeria Police Force including the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) and the Provost Department of the Force.

The agenda of the meeting held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, was the synergy between the foreign agencies, the Police Reform and Transformation Office (PORTO), the office of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Police to improve the policing system in Nigeria and handle disciplinary matters judiciously.

The IGP assured that his administration will collaborate with every sector to sanitise the police towards the achievement of his vision for a people-oriented Nigeria Police.

The Star