Female Officers Free To Live With Civilian Spouses In Barracks – Police IG

The Nigeria Police Force has disowned a signal purporting it as threatening to eject female police officers living in police barracks with their civilian spouses.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali-Baba, distanced the force from the signal said to have gone viral on social media.

The memo was reportedly issued by the Enugu State police command.

But in a statement on Thursday, the NPF spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the IGP described the alleged directive as “unlawful, discriminatory, obnoxious, reprehensive and totally out of tune with the concept of equality as enshrined in our Constitution”.

The Enugu command purportedly ordered the affected female officers to vacate the barracks on or before January 22, 2022.

But IGP Alkali-Baba said the “directive” is not in line with the Force Gender Policy which institutionalises gender mainstreaming as a core value in the Police Force.

He assured that, “no female officer in Police Barracks across the country would be ejected for residing with civilian spouse”.

The IGP noted that the police have so far produced several top-ranking, successful female officers, including Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs), State Command Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders, DPOs, eminent Spokespersons, an Olympic Gold Medallist, amongst others, and would not walk such a retrogressive path.

Meanwhile, the IGP ordered the Force Provost Marshal to investigate the viral document and assured that disciplinary actions would be taken against any person found wanting.

He called on members of the public, particularly female police officers and their families who might have become disturbed as a result of the alleged directive, to ignore the same as the said illegal order is null and void.

The IGP further assured that the force remains committed to advancing the general well-being, rights and privileges of its personnel, irrespective of rank or gender.