The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, has clarified that the special constabulary in Kano are not police officers but that they are recognized by law.
Arase made the clarification in a Police Service Commission Press and Public Relations Unit press release signed by the Head of the unit, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, dated October 19th 2023.
In the statement entitled “Kano special constabulary not police officers but recognised by law“, PSC drew attention to the operations of the Special Constabulary in Kano State, especially the issue of a repentant criminal said to have been recruited into the organisation.
In a recent article, News Band reported that a suspect declared wanted for criminal activities only a few weeks ago, Nasiru Abdullahi aka Chile Maidoki, has reportedly joined the Nigeria Police Force as a police constabulary.
Another report said that over 50 repentant thugs in Kano have been recruited as police special constabulary by the Kano State Police Command after undergoing training.
Reacting to the stories, PSC stated categorically that the Special Constabulary are not Policemen and not recognised as such by the Commission and Government.
The Commission, however, noted that the Constabulary operations are covered and recognised by the Police Act and are readily useful and needed now that the nation is fighting to end the siege of criminals across the country.
Mr. Ani said: “The Commission is in touch with the Kano State Police Command and is aware that the use of the Constabulary is to support the Police in building a crime free Kano State.
“It is necessary to state that the men and women recruited as Special Constabulary are posted to work in their locality where they will be in a better position to fish out the criminals terrorising the place.
“Some of the repentant influential youths previously used in the past as political thugs and abandoned have realised that crime does not pay and have voluntarily offered themselves to assist fight for a crime free state.
“The Commission is also aware that the Kano Special Constabulary has received adequate training and are working in their Local Government areas as required by law but under strict supervision of the State Police Command.
“Their engagement is obviously for visibility and to promote Sustainable peace, economic growth and development of the state.”
On his part, Chairman of the Commission, Arase, a former Inspector General of Police, said that the Commission will continue to partner with the Police to ensure an improved security of lives and property in the country.
Dr. Arase noted that security is not only a government responsibility but that of every Nigerian and called for a citizen based approach to security in Nigeria.
He, however, disclosed that the Commission, in consultation with the Inspector General of Police, will ensure that the uniform of the Constabularies are clearly differentiated from that of the Nigeria Police Force to avoid cases of identity crisis and also define their specific roles in the security architecture of the nation. Read more.
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