Nigeria Police Force Official Website

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, last week led a team of his top management to pay a courtesy call on Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Vice Marshal Paul Dike.

IGP Onovo used the occasion to thank the CDS for promptly dispatching soldiers to assist the Police quell the Boko Haram uprising in the North East, particularly in Borno State. He also asked the Chief of Defence Staff to kindly look into his request for training of 180 police officers in certain specialized areas and to expedite action on it. The officers are to receive their training at the Infantry Centre and School, Jaji. IGP Ogbonna Onovo stated that cooperation between the Military and the Nigeria Police Force will ensure a secured, stable and peaceful country, which is critical for the survival of democracy. He pointed to many such areas of cooperation, especially the highly successful joint security patrols. Without these patrols, he said that security problems in Nigeria would have been compounded. He particularly commended the efforts of the patrol teams in bringing peace to troubled spots such as the Niger Delta and the Boko Haran incident in some parts of the Northern States.

The Inspector-General of Police also commented on the incidents of kidnappings in Nigeria against the backdrop of the recent abduction in the South East of the father of Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Anambra State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He gave the assurance that the culprits would be caught and prosecuted, and that the victim would be rescued.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Dike who laid a red carpet for his guest, was very brief in his response. He noted that the Police had done well under the situation they found themselves and pledged the readiness of the Military to support the Nigeria Police in the discharge of their constitutional duities. He also said that the Police request training of 180 police officers was receiving attention, and that the IGP would be communicated as soon as the modalities for the training have been worked out.