THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has said the Special Constabulary in Kano are not Police officers and would not be recognised as such by the Commission and the Federal Government.
Nonetheless, the Commission said as the country battled to break criminals’ hold on the nation, the constabulary actions were legitimate and protected by the Police Act.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Ikechukeu Ani, on Thursday, October 19, the PSC said it was in touch with the Kano State Police Command and was aware that the use of the constabulary was to support the Police in building a crime-free Kano State.
The statement followed the controversy trailing the recruitment of repentant criminals as constabularies, who do a similar job as the Police.
“It is necessary to state that the men and women recruited as special constabulary are posted to work in their locality where they will be in a better position to fish out the criminals terrorising the place.
“Some of the repentant influential youths previously used in the past as political thugs and abandoned have realised that crime does not pay and have voluntarily offered themselves to assist in the fight for a crime-free state.
“The Commission is also aware that the Kano Special Constabulary has received adequate training and are working in their local government areas as required by law but under strict supervision of the State Police Command.
It added that their engagement was to promote sustainable peace, economic growth and development of the state.
According to the statement, the Commission’s chairman, Solomon Arase, will continue to partner with the Police to ensure improved security of lives and property in the country.
He revealed that the Commission, in collaboration with the Inspector General of Police, will guarantee that the constabularies’ uniforms are distinguishable from those of the Nigeria Police Force to prevent identity crises and specify their distinct functions within the country’s security framework.
The ICIR reported that the recruitment of repentant criminals as constabularies by the Kano state government sparked outrage among Nigerians on social media.
Several Nigerians, particularly on X, expressed dismay over recruiting individuals with criminal records and shady pasts to police communities.
On Monday, October 16, The ICIR saw pictures of Nasiru Abdullahi, popularly known as Chile Maidoki, donning a Kano State constabulary uniform alongside the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Kiyawa.
Sometime this year, Abdullahi and two other notorious criminals were declared wanted by the Kano State Police Command with a bounty of N100,000 each.
A subsequent statement by the command confirmed that he surrendered himself to the Police upon hearing the bounty placed on his head.
Also confirming the recruitment, a report shared by Nigeria Police Force spokesperson Ademuyiwa Adejobi via his X handle revealed that 50 repentant thugs were selected from the 222 thugs that decided to embrace peace offered by the State Command’s Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Usaini Gumel.
A reporter with the ICIR
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