ACUTE shortage of firearms is militating against the efficiency of men of the Nigeria Police in combating crimes, the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, has said.
Mr. Okiro disclosed this in Lagos on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA).
According to him, policemen in the country were exposed to much danger as a result of shortage of weapons.
�There is shortage of arms now because when you send out six policemen, only two of them are armed and whenever robbers come, they target those that are armed and the rest are helpless,� he said.
The IGP also said that the country needed more policemen to be able to quell the rising wave of crimes. �To fight crimes, many things are necessary. Whatever you have without adequate manpower, those things can not operate themselves,� he noted.
Okiro, however, said that the era of shortage of ammunition in the police force might soon become a thing of the past, as, according to him, the government of Lagos State had already promised to assist in that area.
�When the ammunition ordered for the Lagos State government arrives, we will make sure that as many policemen as possible are armed to protect themselves first before protecting others,� the IGP said.
Meanwhile, Okiro has declared that Lagos State was no longer safe for criminals. Okiro made this known while launching the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and unveiling the new Rapid Response Squad (RRS) � an anti-crime squad � set up by the state government.
The state government donated 202 vehicles to the police during the launch, as well as uniforms, boots, safety helmets and bullet-proof vests for the use of RRS.
Okiro commended the state for the equipment and promised that criminals would soon find it difficult to operate anywhere in Nigeria. According to him, the state has moved in the right direction by establishing a security trust fund through legislation.
He lamented that police welfare had been neglected over the years and promised that the Lagos State police command and the RRS would make effective use of the equipment.
Okiro rated Nigerian police officers above their colleagues elsewhere, saying: �Policemen in Nigeria work harder than those in the advanced countries because they are working without equipment.
�We have found out that if our men are encouraged and equipped, they will do more.�