Police authorities have declared that repentant terrorists and other former criminals will not be admitted into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), warning community leaders against endorsing such individuals for recruitment.
The position was made known by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Isyaku Mohammed, during a stakeholders’ meeting with officers and personnel of the Kwara State Police Command, traditional rulers, religious leaders, transport unions and other stakeholders in Ilorin.
Mohammed urged traditional rulers, community leaders, religious heads and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) not to issue recommendation letters for individuals with criminal backgrounds, stressing that the police would not allow them into its ranks.
“Traditional rulers and DPOs do sign for those people. And I don’t think they’ll recommend anybody who has been engaged in criminality in the name of ‘I’ve repented’. I was privileged to serve in the North East. The military, in its own wisdom, accepted deradicalised Boko Haram members, reoriented them, and sent them back into society.
“There’s a town hall meeting that I attended. When I was DC operation in Yobe. They came to sensitise 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.
“They said, I cannot see somebody who killed my parents, coming back with empowerment, while my parents, whose businesses he destroyed, are still there without assistance. So, it becomes a subject of discussion. But this is a federal government decision, and the police cannot do anything about it.
“The only thing we can do is to protect our own territory and ensure that such repentant people do not find their way into the Nigeria Police. And we are doing everything possible to ensure that not just repented criminals, but also 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, or 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.”
The DIG also announced plans to inaugurate a joint border patrol aimed at tackling cross-border crimes in Kwara State, citing the state’s strategic location. “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 criminals,” he said.
Mohammed explained that the Inspector General of Police had directed all Deputy Inspectors General to tour states within their respective zones to engage stakeholders, assess the security situation firsthand and identify operational challenges facing police commands.
He also advocated community policing as a key strategy for preventing crime, saying security is more effective when local communities take ownership of policing efforts. “Here, community takes ownership of security strategy,” he said, urging stakeholders to embrace community policing.
The police chief further stressed the importance of timely intelligence sharing and encouraged greater youth engagement, noting that creating productive opportunities for young people would contribute to improved security.
