Kwara state Police Command has cried out over inadequate manpower and communications equipment, which, they said, were hindering effective policing in the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Agboola Oshodi-Glover, while speaking during a visit of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Christopher Dega, Zone 8 comprising Kogi, Ekiti and Kwara states, said “many police outposts have been closed down owing to shortage of manpower.”
According to him, the Command has 4, 072 officers securing about three million Kwara residents which translates into one police officer to 736 people.
The AIG, who met with officers and men in various Area Commands in the state as well as key stakeholders in Ilorin, also addressed members of the community to seek their views and perception about improving the security situation in the state.
The CP, in his welcome address, said though crime situation in Kwara state was relatively low, the recent population explosion in the state called for more efforts to contain crimes, stressing “Kwara as a fast developing state requires responsive police administration.”
Oshodi-Glover added that the state lacked efficient communication network, lamenting that the command’s communication system “has been in comatose for four months.”
National President of Ilorin Emirate Descendants’ Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji AbdulHameed Adi, urged the police authorities to increase men and officers in the state.
In his remarks, the AIG said the problem of manpower shortage was not peculiar to the zone alone and Kwara and was beyond the capacity of the zone, adding “it is only the federal government that has the capacity to recruit into the Nigeria Police.”