Statement from the Nigerian Police has revealed the deployment of 3,000 officers as “holding force’’ to restore civil authority to the liberated areas in the North-East.
The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, made this known at the End of Year Commissioners of Police Conference held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
“The Force has deployed 3,000 officers as holding forces to the liberated areas in the North-East with the task of restoring civil authority.
“It is pertinent to note that the Force has been fighting side by side the Military in the counter-insurgency operation in the North-East’’, he said.
Emphasizing that the police is making efforts to expand the deployment to cover all other theatres of insurgency in the region.
“In this critical national assignment, some gallant officers have paid the supreme sacrifice’’, he said.
He added that the force has dismissed some officers for acts of corruption, while some are facing punishments.
“Between May and November, the anti-corruption enforcement architecture emplaced by the Force leadership has led to the dismissal of 51 personnel for proven corrupt practices while another 56 have been awarded various punishments’’, he said.
He said that Monitoring Unit; X-Squad and the Provost Marshal have been charged to sustain the enforcement drive in the upcoming year.
