Nigerian Police Break Silence On Planned Nationwide Strike

The Nigeria Police Force on Monday dismissed as false and deceptive claims that its officers were planning a strike.

CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the acting Force Public Relations Officer, issued a statement clarifying the situation.

He claimed that claims circulating on social media about plans by some force members to go on strike starting March 26 were a shady attempt by unscrupulous individuals.
The claims, according to Mr Adejobi, were made to bring the police force into disrepute, misinform the public, and inflame the polity.

“It is important to reiterate that the Nigeria Police Force is a regimented and disciplined organization with established rules and guidelines for resolving grievances, and strike action is not one of them.”
A strike or other deliberate disruption of law enforcement services by any security organization is mutinous, as the men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are well aware.

“Policing services are paramount and essential in the maintenance of orderliness and peace in the nation,” he said, adding that “Personnel of the Force would not degenerate at any point to that level of disloyalty and indiscipline.”
Mr Adejobi stated that the Inspector General of Police (IG-P), Usman Baba Alkali, was stepping up efforts to ensure full implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed salary and allowance increases, which were approved by the Federal Executive Council.

He stressed that the president’s initiative to direct the process of increasing salaries and allowances was taken without any request from the Police.
Mr. Adejobi stated that the Federal Government was fully committed to putting the new salary package into effect.
“The Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has issued an implementation circular since the approval.

“As directed by the President and approved by the Federal Executive Council, the Minister of Police Affairs and the Inspector General have been working with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to ensure the stoppage of tax deductions,” he added.
The FPRO stated that under the current IG-leadership, P’s police officers were highly motivated by ongoing reforms, particularly the provision of kits, accoutrements, body armor, and the cooperative society’s housing scheme.

He added that the administration was also working to improve ICT-driven policing by renovating training schools, upgrading police training curriculum, and procuring and deploying technology.