The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has charged the Police Mobile Force to play a leading role in the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle insurgency, banditry and other security threats across Nigeria.
Disu said the effectiveness of the country’s response to insecurity would depend significantly on the preparedness and capabilities of the Mobile Police Force.
The police chief spoke on Saturday at the Police Mobile Force Training College in Ende Hills, Nasarawa State, where he opened a training programme for instructors and trainers of the Force.
He said President Bola Tinubu had directed security chiefs to intensify efforts to restore peace and confront insurgency and banditry across the country.
According to Disu, Mobile Police personnel have the specialised skills required for counter-insurgency operations and must regain the level of tactical preparedness needed to respond effectively to emerging threats.
He said the expansion of the Mobile Police Force to 84 squadrons nationwide was part of measures to strengthen its capacity to deal with terrorism, banditry, armed crime, communal clashes and attacks on critical infrastructure.
The IGP also called for a balance between operational effectiveness and respect for human rights, urging officers to combine speed, discipline, tactical intelligence and precision in carrying out their duties.
Disu said the ongoing training was designed to improve the quality of personnel across the various squadrons. He urged the instructors taking part in the programme to ensure that the officers they train are better prepared for the security challenges they will face in the field.
He further assured personnel that police authorities would continue to invest in training, equipment, modernisation and welfare while expecting professionalism and measurable results from the Mobile Police Force.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the PMF, Francis Idu, said the Force had recalled officers from prolonged security operations for retraining and a review of its operational methods.
Idu said personnel deployed for stability patrols since March had returned for refresher training covering counter-insurgency, fighting patrols and reviews of experiences from previous operations.
He said recent clearance operations had improved security conditions in several areas, including parts of Lagos and Edo states, while operations in the South-East had also cleared several previously affected locations.
The PMF commander said the Force would sustain its operations against remaining security flashpoints, adding that the fresh training would help improve its performance in the field.
Meanwhile, the Commandant of the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ende Hills, Sunday Peter, said 450 of the 750 instructors identified for the exercise were participating in the first phase.
He said the remaining instructors would take part in the second phase of the training programme.
