The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has vowed never to admit repentant terrorists into its fold.

 

The Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police (DIG), Isyaku Mohammed, disclosed this on Thursday in ilorin at a stakeholders’ meeting with officers and men of the Kwara state Police command, traditional institution, religious heads, anf transport unions among others.

 

The police chief enjoined stakeholders not to recommend repented criminals to join security agencies.

 

Isyaku, who urged community heads, religious leaders and security chiefs not to append signature on letter of their recommendation, said that they should identify and expose criminals so that they are not allowed into the system.

 

“Traditional rulers and DPOs do sign for those people. And I don’t think they’ll recommend anybody that has been engaged in criminality in the name of “I’ve repented”. I was privileged to serve in the North East. The military in their own wisdom, accepted deradicalized Boko Haram members, reorient them and sent them back to the society.

 

“There’s a town hall meeting that I attended. When I was DC operation in Yobe. They came to sensitize the community and told the people to accept the deradicalized people because they’ve repented. But all members of the community rejected them. They said they should take them to another community where they don’t know them.

 

“The only thing we can do is to protect our own territory and ensure that such repented people do not find their ways into the Nigeria Police. And we are doing everything possible to ensure that not just repented criminals, even bad boys, we don’t allow them to find their way into the Nigeria police. So, you our stakeholders, community heads, etc, don’t sign for them, identify them, expose them. We will not allow them into the system. And if you do, after training, we’re sending them back to you to come and police your places. So, you take the consequences,” he stressed.

 

The DIG, who is the coordinating officer, North Central zone, hinted that a joint border patrol would be inaugurated to check crimes and criminality in Kwara state.

 

“Kwara state borders states like Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Niger and Benin Republic. So, the joint border patrol would be done across its border corridors to prevent criminality and crininals”.

 

He said that the IGP had directed all the DIGs to go round states within their zones and interact with stakeholders to get on the spot assessment and proffer solution to security situation as well as challenges of the police command and its officers.

 

Isyaku, who canvassed community policing, said that it is a prevention tool for security.

 

“Here, community takes ownership of security strategy”, he said, while he enjoined stakeholders to embrace community policing.

 

He also emphasized timely information sharing, while he encouraged youth engagement to make them productive.