Gwoza Attack: Less Than 20 Policemen Still Missing, Says IG

The acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Suleiman Abba, yesterday disclosed that less than 20 policemen were still missing after the terrorist group, Boko Haram, laid siege on the Police Training School in Gwoza, Borno State, a few weeks ago.

The IG made the disclosure while fielding questions from State House correspondents, shortly after he met with the Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said: “Well, I must tell you that the turn out of those missing is still impressive because we have been able to trace some of the officers who have reported either back to their bases or to their families.

“When you go through what they went through, the likelihood of you knowing what to do is not very tenable. There is a possibility that the decision of what to do may not be easily comprehensible.

“So some went back to their homes but our concerns is that once they are in safety, we are satisfied and the process of bringing them back to their units has already commenced.

“I must tell you, it is just less than 20 but we are still concerned about every one of them and unless we are able to account for each and everyone of them we will not relent in our efforts to trace them.”

On what is being done to boost the morale of officers and men in the face of security challenges, Abba said: “Well, you know every police officer knows that if you are on the streets, there is the likelihood that you will come across someone who wants to do what is not right, who wants to commit a crime and sees you as an enemy.

“So once you are on patrol, you should know that there are also dangers associated with policing and patrolling. So to us, facing dangers in the performance of police duties is not new. What is new is that this time around, the enemy is highly armed and that is why the military is there to support us in fighting them.”

On reorganisation in the police, the acting IG said changes of officers do not necessarily mean reorganisation in itself, but that repositioning officers could lead to advancement.

According to him, “what we are trying to do is a normal thing, it has always been done, we assess performance and also take into cognisance vacancies available. We are all aware that quite a number of commissioners of police retired recently.

“Some of them were course mates of the retired IG, so they left along with him after their 35 years in service. So it is just an efforts to fill vacancies and of course repositioned the officers based on performance to face the challenges.”

On the challenges he encountered in the reorganisation, Abba noted that changing a culture that had been there for too long, could be tasking.

“Those involved in changes will tell you changing the culture, changing the character, changing the attitudes of personnel is very difficult.

“Naturally it comes with resistance, it comes with a lot of challenges on its own. Somehow someone has to do it and I felt i should not minding the challenges I will face, the good thing is that we have started. Like I said, it is a difficult thing to do. It will take a little while to see it,” he added.