The Police Service Commission (PSC) says it is considering disbandment of Special Police Constabulary in some states over non-payment of allowance to the personnel engaged by the authority concerned.
Thr commission said it was not comfortable with the operations of the personnel engaged to assist in the community policing, adding that it was already in touch with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, about the move.
The spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, told journalists on Thursday that the move followed reported cases of the police constables unprofessional conduct.
Ani listed their unprofessional conducts as high-handedness in dealing with citizens and bare faced extortion on the roads and communities, saying the commission would not look the other way while such misdemeanour happened.
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Daily Trust reports that the PSC, in collaboration with the Force headquarters had a few months ago created the quasi police formation to assist in community policing in a bid to tackle sundry crimes at the grassroots.
Speaking on the move to scrap the formation, Ani said, “The Police Service Commission is no longer comfortable with the organisation and operations of the Special Police Constabulary nationwide.
“The Commission is already in contact with the Inspector General of Police on the need to overhaul the organisation and operations of the outfit.
“There have been several reports of unprofessional conduct by Officers of the outfit, a quasi Police formation created to assist in community policing.
“Reports of their unprofessional conduct ranges from high handedness in dealing with citizens and bare faced extortion on our roads and communities.
“The Commission calls for an entirely different set of uniforms for Officers of the outfit that should be easily differentiated from that of the regular Police Officers.”
The PSC spokesman said in the states where they are not disbanded, accoutrements different from police uniform would be created for the volunteered officers engaged for the job.
Ani added, “The Commission further calls for the disbandment of the outfit in states where they are not salaried and taken care of.
“It noted that it was dangerous to arm a group of people and license them to provide security, maintain law and order in states and communities across the country without basic financial remuneration.
“The Commission has observed that these set of men have descended on innocent Nigerians for their daily upkeep through forceful extortion and intimidation.”
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