The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has expressed worry that the Nigeria Police Force is losing men in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other criminalities, saying that the force has continued to record casualties while battling insecurity across the country.
Disu made the lamentation in Enugu Thursday after the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Forensic and Investigation Centre built by the Enugu state government.
He said police personnel have continued to make sacrifices in the fight against crime, insurgency and banditry, adding that there is need for more manpower to be able to check insurgency.
“We are trying our best, and we are losing our men while doing it,” he lamented.
Disu recalled the recent death of three officers of the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit in Maiduguri, who were killed while attempting to detonate an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by insurgents.
He stated that the officers ignored advice to postpone the operation until the next day because they wanted to prevent possible loss of civilian lives.
“They were dedicated officers who wanted to save lives. Unfortunately, they fell into the trap laid by the insurgents, and we lost them,” he said.
The police boss assured Nigerians that security agencies were working tirelessly to tackle insecurity across the country.
“We are not sleeping on our oars. We are working day and night. What we are doing may not be made public, but very soon Nigerians will hear good news,” he stated.