No fewer than 10,000 new police constables graduated from Police training colleges across the country on Thursday.
About 443 of the new recruits graduated from the police school in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
Speaking at the passing out parade in Ilorin, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, said the recruitment exercise represents another giant stride by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration towards repositioning the Nigeria Police Force.
He said the event which is taking place simultaneously in four premier colleges and police training schools across the country, wraps up six months of highly challenging rigorous, physical, and intellectual training activities.
“All the (10,000) graduating recruit constables will be deployed to complement officers on the forthcoming election security duties across the nation to ensure a free, fair and credible electoral process.
“The recruitment exercise was spread over the 774 local government areas of the country with due regard to federal character considerations and in line with the directives of Mr President,” the IGP stated.
Baba who was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 8, Ashafa Adekunle added,” In the attainment of community policing goals, the recruits will all be posted back to their various local government areas to further entrench the policing strategy of the federal government towards addressing communal crimes in their respective areas of purview.”
The state commissioner of police, Paul Odama, enjoined the new officers to maintain a high level of discipline and shun corruption while carrying out their duties.