The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 5 in Benin, Rasheed Akintunde said on Thursday that only 20 per cent of policemen are engaged in core police duties of protecting lives and ensuring peace in the country.
“The remaining 80 percent are just busy providing personal security to some `prominent people’ on guard duties.
Akintunde said this on Thursday while addressing officers and men of the Police headquarters in Bayelsa, during his tour.
He decried the situation where some prominent people in the society seek more than 30 policemen to protect them, while the bulk of work for the members of the force rests on protecting the masses.
“Every big man wants personal security, they want a number of policemen to come and secure them and their family members, instead of supporting the police to work and ensure a safer environment.
“Honorable members want police security, even Reverend Fathers, Bishops now want police security, so the remaining 20 percent police the whole country.
“If we can redistribute policemen from some government formations and deploy them to work on their core duty, it will yield a positive result,’’ he advised.
The AIG, however, urged all the officers in the command to be on their toes and be committed to their duties.
He also reminded them of the need to do their jobs with integrity and exhibit high level of professionalism in order to create a good image for the force.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Don Awunah, while welcoming the AIG, promised to ensure that the officers and men of the command remained focus on their duty of protecting lives and maintaining law and order in the state.
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