Boko Haram: Policemen on special duty decry neglect





POLICEMEN on special duty to Kano State have lamented the neglect of their welfare.

Forty eight policemen were recently deployed in Kano from MOPOL 4 command, Ibadan, to combat the activities of Boko Haram.

Some of the policemen told The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity that they had been without food and water for 10 days.

They also alleged that their allowance had not been paid.

One of them said, "We are not so sure who should be responsible for our welfare.

"We were told it should be the Kano State Government, but the right thing is for the state police command to take charge of the situation.

"Some of us who have ATM cards have been able to sustain ourselves, but others who didn't have resorted to borrowing for their upkeep."

The PUNCH gathered that while 18 persons were posted to the Rano Area Command, 10 were deployed in Nabawa Division, while the remaining 22 were spread across other communities in the state.

Those outside the state's capital are said to be housed in less than standard accommodations.

Another affected policemen told our correspondent on the telephone that many of them were unhappy about the situation.

He said,  "For those of us who live in the Rano Area command, we have to make daily trips to buy food, water and charge our phones.

"The well water at the recreational centre where we live is not good for drinking. There is no light and our phones are the only means of communicating with our families and friends."

Kano, in recent times, has been hit by a series of suicide bomb attacks, the deadliest being an attack on a bus park in the city where over 80 persons lost their lives.

However, the Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the allegations by the policemen were false.

He said, "From the reports available to me, this allegation is baseless, false and has no iota of truth.

"In fact, the Nigeria Police Force has never had it so good. Most police officers on national and international assignments are well taken care of.

"Majority of the policemen drafted to these areas are also part of the Joint Task Force and all members of the JTF are usually paid together.

"If the military arm of the JTF is not complaining about unpaid allowances, then why are the police complaining?

"We are unaware of the challenges faced by our men in these areas but we are doing everything to make them comfortable."




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