December 27, 2017

The Nigeria Police Force said that it would arrest and prosecute anyone caught selling police uniforms in the open market.

Some Inspectors and rank and file had told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they obtained their uniforms from the open market.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Moshood Jimoh, told NAN that the practice was against the police rules and regulations.

“Anybody found selling police uniforms in the open market would be arrested and prosecuted because it is against the police rules and regulations,“ Jimoh said.

He also said that it would be wrong for any policeman in the rank and file and Inspector category to say that he or she obtained uniforms from the open market.

“It is not correct. I wouldn’t know who you must have spoken with, but it is not the practice in the Nigeria Police Force for policemen to obtain their uniforms from the open market,“he said.

He explained that Inspectors and rank and rifle under this category were entitled to be issued uniforms by the Nigeria Police Force.

The spokesman said that senior police officers were expected to buy their uniforms from the officers’ shop of the force.

“The rank and file are not to buy their uniforms whether outside or within the force.

“If anybody wants additional uniforms aside the ones issued, he or she does not have to go to the open market to buy.

He said that uniforms allowances were already paid to officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police to the rank of Inspector-General of Police.

He said that Inspectors and rank and file are being issued uniforms periodically through their station officers and the Quartermaster of their various commands with the approval of the Inspector-General of Police.

On bail, Jimoh urged members of the public to resist demand by any police officer to pay money for bail, as it is free.

“The public should resist any demand from any police officer to pay money for bail because bail is absolutely free,“he said.

He explained that offences that were not bailable at the level of the police could only be granted by the court.

Jimoh said that the police could not admit suspects to bail for offences such as murder, armed robbery, arson and rape.

He said that the police could only admit suspects to bail in cases such as theft or minor offences where they had the discretion.

He said that the force had launched so many campaigns in the past on the issue of bail.

“Recently, the Inspector-General of Police reintroduced another strategy for spreading the campaign by distributing flyers and stickers to members of the public.

“We want Nigerians to know that bail is free, absolutely, and if anybody tries to extort money from them they should report through the avenues provided,“the police spokesman said.

He urged members of the public to always report such cases to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area concerned or the Commissioner of Police in charge of that Command.