Following reports of an impending strike by personnnel of the Nigerian Police, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, yesterday warned officers and men of the force that a strike action by a lead security agency such as the police was tantamount to mutiny.

Online and social media reports yesterday indicated plans by policemen to embark on a two-week warning strike fixed for March 26.

The last time a police strike happened, then President Olusegun Obasanjo, who appointed then IG of police, Mr Musuliu Smith on May 29, 1999, fired him on February 2, 2002 for allowing such an unprecedented strike to take place.

Smith is the present Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

A statement issued by Police Force Headquarters warned that any strike action or any disruption of law enforcement services would be treated as mutiny.

“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a news making the rounds on social media alleging that some members of the force will be embarking on a strike action with effect from March 26, 2022.

“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state unequivocally that the alleged publication is fake and a mischievous attempt by unscrupulous individuals to bring the force to disrepute, misinform the general public and heat up the polity”, it said.

“It is pertinent to restate that the Nigeria Police Force is a regimented and disciplined organisation with laid down rules and guidelines for addressing grievances and in no circumstance is a strike action one of such means.

“The men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are fully aware that a strike action or other deliberate disruption of law enforcement services by any security organisation is mutinous and the personnel of the force would not degenerate at any point to that level of disloyalty and indiscipline, as policing services are paramount and essential in the maintenance of orderliness and peace in the nation”, it said.

The statement signed by Acting Force Public Relations Officer and Chief Supretendent of Police (CSP), Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said government and police authorities were working to accelerate the full implementation of increment of salaries and allowances proposed by the president.

“It is pertinent to emphasise that the IGP is accelerating efforts to ensure the full implementation of the increment of salaries and allowances proposed by the President and approved by the Federal Executive Council.

“It is important to accentuate that it was the president’s initiative without any demand from the police to direct the process of increasing salaries and allowances. “The federal government is therefore fully committed to the implementation of the new salary package”, it said.

“Since that approval, the Salaries and Wages Commission has issued an implementation circular, the Honourable Minister of Police Affairs and the IGP have been working with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to ensure the stoppage of tax deductions as directed by the President and approved by the Federal Executive Council”, it said.

The statement noted that “the Inspector-General of Police reiterates that police officers under his leadership are well motivated with the ongoing reforms, especially the provision of kits, accoutrements, body armor, the cooperative society’s housing scheme, the renovation of training schools, upgrade of police training curriculum, procurement and deployment of technology to boost ICT-driven policing.

“The IGP equally assures that the police are committed to discharging their duties to the nation as expected and renew their commitment to ensuring public safety, and the protection of lives and property of all and sundry”, he said.

In a letter written to the IG, the unidentified police officers said they would embark on the warning strike to protest poor working conditions, poor salaries, lack of genuine welfare benefits and outdated weapons.

The police officers are also protesting the continuous killing of their colleagues by armed robbers and terrorists, without adequate compensation for their families.

The aggrieved police officers accused the federal government of lying about the increment of police salary and other promised benefits and demanded improved conditions of service, particularly salary increase and provision of modern weapons as they tackle the security challenges facing the country.

The letter reads: “The Nigeria government lied about the increment of police salary on March 10, 2022. It has been observed with utmost dissatisfaction how the federal government and the Minister of Police Affairs lied to the general public about the increment of our salaries.

“It has always been discussed on every occasion that the increment would be done since the incident of the #EndSARS protest that led to the loss of many lives of the men of the force.

“More so, it has been observed by the men of the force that there’s nothing good the federal government would do for the police, because they had already made an announcement that they have increased our salary which is not true.

“With the lackadaisical attitude of the government and the Ministry of Police Affairs, it shows that there was nothing like a salary increment.

“We deserve to be treated with respect by the government as we protect almost every political personality. We are treated like slaves despite our contribution to national development.

“We don’t have good salaries and our gratuities are very poor compared to what is obtainable in other parts of the world”, the letter said. (THISDAY: Excludes headline)

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