Buhari: Police operations will be mordenised in line with 21st century expectations

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is committed to modernising police operations across the country.

Buhari, who was represented by Maigari Dingyadi, minister of police affairs, stated this on Tuesday at the passing out parade of 418 officers of the third regular cadet course at the Nigeria police academy, Wudil, Kano state.

According to the president, the Police Act 2020 — the bill was signed into law in September 2020 — will bring about necessary reforms in the force, and also ensure improved security.

“The Act replaces the repealed Nigeria Police Act that had been in existence for over 77 years, and which had become an archaic legal instrument and a fundamental clog in the wheels of modern policing,” he said.

“The new Nigeria Police Act contains fundamental provisions which are positively altering the policing narrative in Nigeria, as it has given legal backing to the principle of community policing and addressed vital issues that have historically been inhibiting seamless police administration.

“With the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, the nation has been given a unique legal instrument that will modernise police operations and position the Nigeria police towards the attainment of its 21st century policing mandate.”

While listing other areas of reform carried out by the federal government, he added that the police public complaints committee, a section of the force which addresses cases of police abuse, has been reorganised for better output.

“As part of our police reform initiatives, the police public complaints committee, which is domiciled in the ministry of police affairs, has been resuscitated with the mandate to receive complaints from the general public on cases of abuse and maltreatment by police officers. The PPCC has a membership made up of officials from relevant MDAs and security agencies,” he said.

“A public private partnership arrangement undertaken by the ministry of police affairs to rejuvenate the national public security communication system network has been approved by the federal executive council.

“This is with a view to ensuring that when fully reactivated, the police and other security agencies will be able to fully utilise this vital facility.

“We re-established the ministry of police affairs out of the former ministry of interior in 2019. This is with the intention to drive the police reform process by initiating, formulating, and implementing policies and programmes relating to policing and internal security.

“This initiative was also intended to provide supervision and administrative support to the force, particularly, in the area of training and capacity development as well as the enhancement of the budgetary profile of the Nigeria police.

“In order to address the funding challenges of the force, I also assented to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill on 24th June, 2019, and followed up with the inauguration of the board of trustees to ensure immediate take-off of the fund.

“I am being constantly briefed by the honourable minister of police affairs on the activities of the trust fund and I am delighted to note that already, critical operational items including purpose-built operational vehicles and other policing assets are currently being delivered through the intervention of the trust fund.

“I am confident that with the sustained intervention of the trust fund, the operational efficiency and human capacity development goals of the Nigeria police will be attained on a sustainable basis, and by extension, our internal security order will be enhanced in due course.”