Governors Inspect Decrepit Rivers Police Training Facilities

 The Federal Government has launched an urgent nationwide overhaul of Nigeria’s police and security training institutions, with governors and top security chiefs conducting on-the-spot inspections of decayed facilities across the country.

Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) Ad Hoc Committee on the Overhaul of Security Training Institutions and Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, disclosed that the initiative is a direct mandate from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who personally inaugurated the committee to reposition the country’s law enforcement training system.

According to Dr. Mbah, the President has given the committee a one-month deadline to submit a comprehensive plan for the renovation and modernization of security training institutions nationwide. 

The inspection tour is aimed at identifying areas for improvement and developing a blueprint for the rehabilitation of these facilities.

The governors and security chiefs visited the Police Training School in Nonwa-Tai, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, where they expressed concern over the deplorable state of the facilities. 

They emphasized that the situation is unacceptable and requires urgent attention to enhance the capacity of police officers and improve security in the country.

The overhaul is expected to cover all security training institutions across the country, including those of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Mbah spoke on Thursday during an inspection visit to the Police Training College, Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, alongside Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

 “The President came to the NEC meeting himself to inaugurate this committee,” Mbah said. “That tells you how much importance he attaches to the security of lives and property. He recognises that we are at a security crossroad, and nothing short of a complete and urgent overhaul is required to secure our future.”

The Enugu governor said the President had already approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police personnel, but added that the exercise would not proceed until the country’s training facilities are rebuilt and adequately equipped.

 “There’s no way that recruitment can happen if we do not have proper training grounds for these men and women who protect our communities,” he explained. “We are here for an on-the-spot assessment, to document the level of decay and ensure that this intervention is nationwide. That was the explicit mandate of the President.”

Mbah lamented that most of the training centres had suffered decades of neglect, stressing that President Tinubu’s intervention marks a new beginning for Nigeria’s policing architecture.

 “You cannot demand integrity and professionalism from our men and women when the institutions that train them are in ruins,” he said. “This is being treated as a national emergency. The first phase will last one month, during which we will begin rebuilding, reequipping and restoring the dignity of these institutions.”

Also speaking, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who is a member of the committee, described the reform as a “clear demonstration of the President’s political will” to strengthen law enforcement and ensure internal security.

“The President is not a member of NEC, yet he came personally to inaugurate this committee,” Abiodun noted. “That tells you his level of commitment. He understands that you cannot recruit 30,000 policemen and train them in this kind of environment. You cannot incubate policemen here and expect them to behave like professionals when they get out.”

Abiodun revealed that the committee had split into northern and southern teams to meet its four-week deadline, with consultants already working on a bill of quantities and cost assessments for all police and NSCDC training facilities across the country.

 “We’re determined to meet the deadline,” he said. “Our report will include detailed refurbishment plans so that the President can immediately begin the recruitment drive backed by proper training infrastructure. This shows that Mr. President is not just talking; he is acting.”

On his part, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, hailed the initiative as a “bold and practical step” by President Tinubu to professionalise the Nigerian Police Force.

 “What is important here is that the President has made a bold statement, he wants a police force that is trained professionally,” Fubara said. “And I strongly believe he means every word he has said. This is not just about fixing buildings; it’s about building capacity, restoring morale, and motivating officers to perform like their counterparts anywhere in the world.”

The inspection team, which also included retired and serving senior police officers, toured facilities at the Nonwa Police Training College and other adjoining installations in Rivers State.

The NEC Ad Hoc Committee is expected to complete its assessment within four weeks and supervise the first phase of renovation and re-equipping of the facilities, ahead of the planned recruitment of new police personnel across the country.