A former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sunday Ehindero, has decried the involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in internal security (IS) operations, across the country, saying the development was not good for democracy.
This is as another retired police chief, Usman Baba, commended President Bola Tinubu for restoring what he considered as the dwindling primacy of the police. Ehindero and Baba spoke yesterday at the launch of twin biographies of the latter titled, Giant Footprints, and A Policeman Personified respectively in Abuja.
Ehindero, who lauded President Tinubu for issuing directive for the recruitment of 30, 000 policemen and 20, 000 soldiers, also called for the rejigging of the nation’s security architecture. “I will say, lastly, that the security architecture of this country needs to be rejigged.
“With apologies to the military that are here; too much military visibility in a democracy is not good. We should (however) praise them for the work they are doing. They are doing marvellously”, Ehindero said. He added: “It’s not their fault.
They should concentrate…on our borders; to prevent these miscreants from coming into the country. “And that is what our constitution (provides)-our territorial integrity, to be maintained and protected. “So with all this, I want to congratulate my brother for this luncheon.
And I urge all the policemen, retired or serving, to also contribute to the development of this country”. In his remarks, the 21st IGP noted that the biographies will serve as a mirror into the broader policing ecosystem, providing an opportunity for other retired officers to also document their experiences.
He commended the President for ordering the withdrawal of police operatives attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs), saying this was the first time such a directive will come from a Commander-in-Chief (Cin-C). His words: “I am profoundly grateful to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his consistent action directed at restoring the dwindling police primacy in the internal security architecture.
“This was again made manifest by the recent Presidential Order on the Withdrawal of Police Personnel Attached to Undeserving Personalities. “As far as my memory can lead me, this is the first time that such an order will emanate directly from a sitting President. We have tried to do it as IGPs but we couldn’t make it.
Let’s see how this one will work.” On the biographies, he stated: “Through my lenses and understand and optimise opportunities that the Nigerian policing ecosystem presents, especially at this crucial period in our nation’s historical revolution, where rich knowledge and valuable experience like mine are vital assets to be shared.
“Your Excellencies, knowledge is power, experience is strength. Knowledge and experience combining together, if you are holding them, it is an unforgivable vice.
