The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, said in Abuja on Friday that 36,000 police officers would attend promotion courses in December.

Arase, who said this during an inspection tour of the FCT Police command, said that 4,000 Inspectors would also attend the board for promotion.

He advised the officers against bribing any instructor during the duration of the course as all expenses would be paid by the police authority.

“If you go on course, do not give any instructor money during the course for whatever reason.

“You know I have zero tolerance for corruption, which is why the roadblocks were removed,” he said.

He said that the implementation of the safer highways introduced by his administration was yet to yield the desired results.

The IGP warned officers against arbitrary arrest and detention, adding that their operations must be intelligence driven.

He also warned Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Area Commanders (ACs) against illegal deployment of policemen to guard people who are not entitled to such privilege.

“The illegal deployment of police officers is not going to be accepted. If you are a DPO or an area commander, don’t deploy our officers without permission, if you do that and you are caught, severe sanction awaits you.”

However, he said that the welfare of officers would be tied to performance.

“You cannot have a good police force without addressing their welfare.”

He said that there are plans by the police to set up a scholarship scheme for children of officers.

Similarly, he said that a housing scheme for the rank and file before they retire from service was in the offing.

The IGP also warned officers against using horsewhips on civilians.

“I don’t want any of you whenever you are on the traffic to start carrying horsewhip and sticks.”

Earlier, FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, said that the rapid expansion of the territory was posing a challenge to the command’s resources.

He said that there was a need for the creation of two additional area commands in Karu and Gwarinpa to meet the demands of effective policing.

Wilson pointed out that accommodation for personnel was also a challenge as most of them live outside the territory.

He said that crime had been reduced to the barest minimum with the commitment of officers of the command.

The police commissioner said the command was partnering with relevant stakeholders in the territory to ensure safety of residents.

He said that the command had keyed into the IG-P’s initiative of safer highways with 25 patrol vans. (NAN)

•Photo shows IGP Arase.