Phantom Police Strike: AIG Adeleke Cautions Officers in Lagos, Ogun

Matilda Omonaiye/

Police officers and men in Lagos and Ogun states under Zone ‘2’ Command have been warned not to be distracted by rumors of an imminent strike being peddled by a faceless group trying to heat up the polity and bring the Nigeria Police into disrepute while claiming to be fighting for salary increment implementation by the Federal Government.

Delivering a lecture to police officers and men of Ogun State and Lagos State, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone ‘2’ Command, AIG Adeyinka Adeleke, described the strike threat as fake and appealed to officers to be calm, law-abiding, steer clear of mutinous action, be focused on their duties, and maintain the integrity of the Nigeria Police as a disciplined organization with laid down rules and guidelines for addressing grievances if any.

AIG Adeleke told the officers during the lecture at the Zone ‘2’ police headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, had put measures in place to ensure that policemen are comfortable, and he is seeing to the review of death benefits, as well as welfare issues including salary increment, pension, kits, etc.

According to AIG Adeleke, the IGP has accelerated efforts to ensure the full implementation of the increment of salaries and allowances proposed by the President and approved by the Federal Executive Council, even as he continues to deliver on the provision of kits, accouterments, body armor, the cooperative society’s housing scheme, the renovation of training schools, upgrade of police training curriculum, procurement, and deployment of technology to boost ICT-driven policing.

The IGP had earlier assured that the welfare of officers and ranks in the Nigeria Police were being given paramount attention, promising that the proposed new salary would be implemented soon.

A group recently served a notice threatening that the police will go on a 2-week strike on March 26 because the salary increment approved by President Muhammadu Buhari has not been implemented by the Federal Government.