IGP’s Order On Uniform Unsettles Police Officers

THE WHISTLER has learnt that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman-Alkali Baba, has ordered all police operatives to wear their full uniforms whenever they are on official duties.

But the new directive is causing disquiet among personnel who believe it would expose operatives to more danger.

Since the EndSars protest of October 2020, when police operatives were targeted and attacked by irate youths, many police officers have avoided wearing the uniform in public places.

It is also common sight at police stations to see officers dress casually in Mufti.

But after taking over as the IGP in February this year, Baba was said to have expressed the desire to restore the confidence of policemen in their profession back, and wearing the uniform proudly is one of the ways he planned to do this.

But some officers who spoke to THE WHISTLER off-the-record, said the directive was detrimental to the safety of officers, especially in places where there is active insecurity.

With the post-EndSars situation, a senior officer said it was unfair to officers to make it mandatory on them to appear in uniform when on duty.

“Some policemen have been killed in violence prone areas of the country by hoodlums and criminal elements; this directive will further endanger their lives,” he said.

Another officer said while it is good for policemen to always appear in their uniform for quick identification, but argued that the current insecurity in the country makes such order counterproductive.

 “That is the problem because if our men are out there, they can be easily identified, and you know the situation of the country,” he said, adding that a proper order would have been for each state command to respond in the best way.

Despite the directive, this website has observed that some policemen still appear in mufti at divisional police stations across the Federal Capital Territory.