Honourable Abdullahi Halims during the House session on Thursday November 28, 2019 moved a motion for Police Personnel on highway patrol to wear uniform and properly number their patrol van.
He said Policemen on highway patrol appear differently from one check point to another as some do not wear any means of identification which makes it difficult for citizens to identify them, thereby on some occasions mistaking them for armed robbers.
Reiterating that, some of the vehicles used by policemen on patrol are neither painted in Nigerian Police Service colour nor numbered. Thus, not providing clear means of ascertaining the police division they belong to in case of any problem.
The House is aware that the Nigeria police force on patrol usually carry out “stop and search” exercises on highways to reduce the spate of robbery and kidnapping incidents but because of this uncertainty, men of the underworld often take advantage of the situation to ambush unsuspecting Nigerians on the highways and rob them of their valuables, inflicting untold fears and sufferings and sometimes killing or kidnapping innocent people.
Honourable Abdullahi Halims noted that, if proper uniform with identification tags are made compulsory for policemen on patrol and their vehicle properly numbered, it would be easier for motorist and other road users to clearly differentiate miscreants from legitimate officers on duties.
Accordingly, the House mandated the committee on Police Affairs to investigate the practice of Police men on highways who are not properly dressed with a view to curbing this unprofessional practice within the system.
OLALERE TAIWO
For: Head of Press
