The Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase says that the Nigeria Police Force will this year replace firearms with stun guns as part of measures to reduce casualties resulting from the misuse of firearms by officers who are on patrol.
Arase, who disclosed this at the Police Commissioners Conference, held in Abuja yesterday, said, “Right now, what we are trying to do is to discourage issuing firearms to police officers, who go on metro patrol. And that is why we are thinking of introducing stun guns this year. Stun guns can incapacitate you, demobilize you, but they will not kill you.
“So, in case there is a mistake, then we will be able to ensure that the fatality is not such that will result in death. It is also true that from statistics we have internal mechanisms for dealing with people who engage in misuse of firearms and I must tell you that many of them have been dismissed. But it is not every day you will see it on the pages of the paper that they have been dismissed.”
He went on to reveal that intelligence gathering by the police indicated that following the efforts of the force in curbing bank robberies, armed robbers in Lagos state have now resorted to kidnapping.
According to the police boss, “We have a new challenge now in Lagos because after we have been able to mop up the bank robbers that come from the waterways, it looks as if they have found a new vocation in kidnapping, especially in Festac and Amuwo Odofin.
“We are addressing those issues and I can assure you that those people will be caught. It takes time though; you know crime is always committed but the indomitable fighting spirit of the police force has to be strengthened and that is what we are trying to do. Also, the supervisory role of the commissioners of police, divisional commanders, area commanders must be strengthened because I think that is where we are having a gap and I can assure you that we will make sure that we resolve it,” he stated.
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