Nigeria Counter-insurgency: We’ll Pay Our Men Soon, Says IG

Nigeria Punch

The Nigeria Police Force has said it will soon settle all outstanding allowances of policemen, particularly those at the warfront combating Boko Haram in different parts of the North-East.

The police said everything was being done to ensure that salaries and other allowances were paid as at and when due.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, who spoke on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, said this in response to questions regarding the non-payment of the allowances of anti-riot policemen who were fighting the Boko Haram insurgents in Yobe State.

One Fatai Azeez, had written a letter to The Punch, complaining that the allowances and entitlements of policemen fighting in Yobe had not been paid since they were deployed in the state from various stations.

In the letter, Azeez said they had resorted to begging for food in Damaturu and its environs.

He said, “We have not been paid our allowances since our arrival from various stations across the country. As a result, we move daily from compound to compound in Damaturu and its environs, begging for food.

“Sadly, no provision was made for our accommodation before our deployment to the state resulting in our sleeping in uncompleted buildings while some stay under trees.”

But Ojukwu told our correspondent over the telephone on Tuesday, that the IGP was aware of the hardship being faced by the policemen and had directed that the payment process should be fast-tracked.

Asked why the policemen were not paid before their deployment to Yobe, the FPRO said the procedure was that the personnel must report at their new station before their allowances could be paid.

He said, “They will soon be paid, the payment is being worked out. The procedure is that the policemen must report to their new station before they are paid their allowances.”