Atiku lauds I-G’s decision to withdraw policemen from VIPs

Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku has lauded the decision of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to reassign thousands of police officers attached to individuals back to core police duties.

Atiku, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), gave the commendation in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

He noted that the country had a security emergency and that the security forces were overstretched.

He said the country did not have enough military and paramilitary forces to provide security for its peace-loving people.

Atiku blamed the recent abduction of 110 schoolgirls from Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe, on insufficient personnel required to guard the institution.

The former vice president had earlier suggested that the 150,000 policemen guarding private citizens should reassigned to core police duties.

“Recently, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Mike Okiro, revealed that 150,000 policemen are guarding various elites and those we know as ‘big men’.

“If I had my way, I would have recalled all of those 150,000 policemen who are not performing core police duties and send them to provide security for every school in the North-East region.

“That, to me, would be a better use of their time and services; we already know that Boko Haram has an agenda to cripple Western education in Nigeria.

“So, how could we have left those schools unguarded? Why should the police be guarding VIPs who can afford personal guards and leave vulnerable girls unguarded? Okiro asked.

He noted that the government was spending billions of naira trying to encourage girls to go to school only to allow them be abducted by terrorists.

Atiku urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be open to solutions from well-meaning Nigerians and friends of the country to assist the nation in its current challenges.

Meanwhile, the Presidency on Wednesday confirmed the release of 76 of the Dapchi schoolgirls.