VAM News Update
Nigerians have expressed their concerns over the recruitment of 50 repentant thugs into Kano State Police Command.
The repentant thugs were recruited as police special constabularies, according to Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usaini Gumel.
During their passing out parade, Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna, said, “Today is a happy day for the good people of Kano State and the Police Command because we passed out fifty (50) youths from the two hundred and twenty-two (222) repentant thugs who have since surrendered themselves.”
Reacting to the development, Nigerians took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their views, stressing that this might increase unruly behaviour among security agents.
Defending the move by Kano state, the Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said, “They are not policemen. I was told, and it’s been in the news that they are repentant individuals who have been mobilised into the constabulary scheme of Kano State. The Constabulary scheme is not police but a community-based initiative.”
Replying to Adejobi, @ifyforever pointed out, “From your explanation I can deduce that you know nothing about their supposed repentance until recently when you were “told”.
“Now who certify these guys ” Repentant”?
“Secondly, does the lion building hold a debrief of them, psychology evaluation and assessment or is the job of the state department.”
“Thirdly, do you rely on whatever you were told just because it came from your officers and do not carry out your own investigation to ascertain the clarity of pictures they paint for you.
“Many questions on my mind don’t even know which one to write.”
In the reactions that have trailed the recruitment, @greasedbygrace called on Adejobi and Lagos Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin, saying, “@Princemoye1 @BenHundeyin Can u guys confidently authenticate this. I remember u saying we should recruit the best people to the police force.”
“😁😁😁 Criminals in police uniform?” @CarDeliverySer1 questioned.
“Constable is not the police but they wear the same uniform,” @_weyimi reacted. “If they are out on the streets performing police duties and they are told it is wrong, what will the police do to them??? You do realize this is a problem or let’s all believe this is a skit.”
Speaking about an alleged notorious miscreant among the new recruits, @harrizone98 tweeted, “Frame 1: Nigeria Police Special Constabulary Officer in uniform. Frame 2: Chile Maidoki, repentant Kano criminal. FPPRO either doesn’t know this or he’s making up excuses for a criminal.”
“Nigeria is comedy central tbh, it’s only sad that these comic acts are played in real-life situations,” @AkinronbiDave said.
@ItisRitchie reacted, “Repentant criminal? Was he ever arrested or even taken to court? This is how they recruited criminals as SARS then.”
Speaking further on the controversy, the Commissioner of Police said no criminal was recruited into the force.
Gumel said one Nasiru Abdullahi, whose enlistment into the constabularies, has generated serious attention, was among the 222 ‘repentant influential youths’ who denounced violence and chose to become “good ambassadors” of the state.
He said that Abdullahi, also known as ‘Chile Madobi’, was among the 222 youths who had been granted amnesty by the state government.
According to him, following instructions from the state government, the youths were de-radicalized and properly profiled, during which about 50 of them volunteered to help police in the ongoing fight against criminal elements in the state.
He faulted reports alleging that the state command was training constabularies at a training school, wondering when and where the state it had built a training school.
Gumel said, “All the 222 influential youths, who surrendered themselves were properly profiled and the state government organised a training for them into various trades under its skills acquisition programmes.
“The State Governor, who already gave them amnesty directed us to profile them and find out where they can fit in for skills acquisition and human empowerment. Out of the 222 influential youths, 50 of them volunteered to help the police in fighting crimes and criminal activities in the state. Nasiru Abdullahi is one of them.” (Daily Trust)