Abuja – The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase on Thursday said that four billion naira would be required to rebuild police stations, facilities and installations destroyed by insurgents in the North East.
Arase said this at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs.
He said that since the emergence of insurgency in the country, no fewer than 56 police stations were destroyed in the region.
“A total of 56 police stations, formations and facilities have been destroyed by insurgents.
“The present devastative situation has greatly impaired as it constitutes a major challenge to the capacity of the police within the formations.
“The total replacement value of the affected structures becomes about four billion for us to put those things back to shape,’’ Arase said.
He pointed out that the destruction of the facilities had affected the communication process crucial in the fight against insurgency in the area.
While speaking on the capacity to fight insurgency, Arase lamented that Nigeria Police was highly de-motivated.
“Our mobile Police personnel are currently fighting side by side with the military in the North East and that is never mentioned when people are talking about police contributions to the fight against insurgency.
“And because they are doing well, we intend to push in more men into those areas,’’ he said
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs Rep. Haliru Jika (APC-Bauchi) said that the National Assembly was committed to quality legislation that would guarantee effective policing in the country.
According to Jika, the Committee on Police Affairs will synergize with the Nigeria Police in their determination to nip the security challenges in the bud.
“As parliamentarians, our focus will be the provision of adequate legislative impetus for the actualization of the policies of government in Nigeria Police,’’ he added.
The lawmaker, however, urged Nigerians to contribute in the fight against terrorism, saying that it requires a collective approach to overcome.
“As it is often said security is everybody’s business,’’
