THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has lamented the police’s housing deficit, stating that only 10 per cent of the workforce have adequate housing.
Egbetokun disclosed this at the Nigeria police housing summit on Monday, April 22, in Abuja.
He expressed dismay over the fact that years of neglect have left existing barrack accommodations largely insufficient, failing to meet the requirements of modern 21st-century policing.
Read Also:
- IGP appoints deputy FPRO, state PPROs
- [EXCLUSIVE] Two former IGPs, senior Police officers accused of bribery in shady land sale of designated Police Barracks
- ‘How N21trn to plug housing deficit can be sourced’
The police boss, while noting that personnel welfare is paramount to his administration, said, “Presently, housing capacity meets only about 10 per cent of the needs of our more than 400,000-strong workforce. Moreover, years of neglect have rendered existing barracks accommodations largely inadequate, failing to meet the demands of modern 21st-century policing.
“In the past, the Nigerian Police Force has launched initiatives aimed at addressing these shortfalls, including the establishment of the Nigerian Police Force Property Development and Construction Co Ltd and forging partnerships with various state governments, government bodies, sister organisations, and private sector developers,” he said.
Egbetokun further outlined the Nigerian Police Housing Summit 2024’s goals as defining efficient housing for police welfare, fostering collaboration among housing sector stakeholders, and proposing actionable strategies for affordable housing delivery.
He also hinted at establishing a N100 billion Police Housing Fund, adding that preliminary assessments were ongoing.
“A critical discussion point will be the establishment of a N100 billion Police Housing Fund. Preliminary assessments are underway, and engagements with key players and institutions have begun. The experts and facilitators gathered here today will play a crucial role in refining our strategies and ideas”, IGP added.
Egbetokun expressed his belief that officers deserve better, stating that the current situation offers little hope for effectively meeting their housing needs.
The ICIR reported how the Nigeria Police under the ex-IGP and his successor, Ibrahim Idris, approved the development of a designated Police Barrack at Mbora district as an estate in circumvention of approved guidelines for the sale of federal government-owned facilities in FCT.
The report detailed how former staff of the estate developer who was part of the deal testified in the court how they lured both former IGPs with N200 million and house allocation to secure the contract.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) allocated 2.13 hectares of land at Cadastral Zone C 06, Mbora District, Abuja, to the Nigeria Police in 2014 for the construction of barracks to address the inadequate housing for police officers.
However, findings showed that top police officials approved the development of the lands for Copran International Limited, an Abuja-based company, against their allocation purpose and approved guidelines that restricted such land from being sold.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M