TheCable

Seriake Dickson, senator representing Bayelsa West, has condemned the rising spate of attacks on security agents and facilities in the country.

He urged the federal government to increase funding to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Dickson spoke during a solidarity visit to Usman Baba, acting inspector-general of police, on Friday, in Abuja.

Security agents and facilities have also become targets of attacks in the southern parts of the country with many police officers killed and stations razed.

The senator, an ex-police officer and former governor of Bayelsa state, condemned the attacks and killing of policemen and the vandalising of police properties and other government facilities.

He commended the police force for doing their best in the face of “daunting welfare and operational challenges” and called for proper funding of the force to enhance its operational efficiency.

Dickson added that the police force is not the problem of Nigeria and should not be seen as the enemy.

“This is a very trying period in the life of our country and particularly for the police and I thought that I should be here as the policeman that I always will be to show support to show concern and to join in condemning these acts of aggression visited on law-abiding people doing their best to protect citizens of our country,” he said.

“I want to also use this opportunity to call for a cessation of all such attacks on police formations, officers and men that are going on in some parts of our country and to tell everybody that the police are not your problem, the police are not your enemies.

“Police officers and men are your brothers and sisters from all parts of our country. I was also one of them so I consider it as something that could have happened to me too.

“Any country where the police are undermined and neglected, where the police are not funded, where the police officers are not trained properly, where the police officers have no equipment to work with, where the police officers have low morale, cannot have security.

“Once again, I appreciate the IG, his officers and men for trying their best at this very difficult circumstances and I also use this opportunity to remind our nation and all of us who are in leadership that the sooner we go back to funding of the police as it was in those days, the better for everybody.

“This is because the police are the only institution that has a presence in all our communities and yet their vehicles cannot run, they do not even have vehicles.

“Where they have vehicles, they cannot fuel or maintain them and they have low morale. They have no money to train and equip them. You cannot have security in a nation like that.”

In his remark, Baba commended the senator and pledged that the force would remain committed and unwavering in its task of protecting lives and property in spite of the numerous challenges.