institutions, the Police Academy, Gwoza, Borno State by Boko Haram on
Wednesday, the Nigeria Police has reached out to the military to
protect its facilities in the North.
PUNCH reports that the military would deploy soldiers to guard police
barracks, primary and secondary schools, as well as its training
colleges.
Besides the college at Gwoza, other NPF training institutions in the
country include the police colleges in Jos, Plateau State; Ikeja,
Lagos State; Kaduna, Kaduna State; Maiduguri, Borno State; Oji-River
and Police Detective College, Enugu; as well as the Police College of
Information Technology, Abeokuta.
Others are the Police Mobile Training School, Ila-Orangun, Osun State;
Mounted/Dog Training Schools, Jos, Plateau State; Traffic Training
School, Ikeja; the Police School of Music, Ikeja; Police Schools of
Communication, Ikeja, Lagos and Kaduna; the Police School of
Anti-Terrorism, Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State; the Police Training School,
Sokoto; Police Training School, Bauchi; Police Training School, Minna,
Niger State; and Police Training School, Jos.
The institutions also include the Police Training School, Ibadan, Oyo
State; Police Training School, Benin City, Edo State; Police Training
School, Oyin Akoko, Ondo State; Police Training School, Makurdi, Benue
State; Police Training School, Iperu, Ogun State; Police Training
School, Calabar, Cross River State;. Police Training School, Ilorin,
Kwara State; the Police Training School, Ikeja, Lagos State; and the
Police Academy in Kano.
A senior security official, who pleaded anonymity, confided in our
correspondent that Wednesday's attack on the police college was seen
in security circles as the beginning of the sect's campaign against
police formations.
Boko Haram had carried out sustained attacks on military barracks in
different parts of Borno State since the beginning of its insurgency.
The source said, "We know the sect is targeting the Police and other
security formations. We have put our men on the alert. We are seeking
the assistance of the military and other security agencies to ensure
security of our facilities."
The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the
plan to work with the military. However, he insisted that, far from
being helpless, the police had strengthened security around its
various training colleges and institutions to forestall further
attacks by the sect.
Ojukwu said further developments would determine if its training
institutions would be shut to prevent planned attacks. The police
spokesperson, however, refused to dwell on the strategies that the
Police would deploy, citing "security reasons."
Rather, he said the Police was collaborating with other security
forces to provide adequate protection for police formations in the
North-East and other parts of the country.
He said, "We are not contemplating closing training colleges for now.
It is the situation on ground that would determine what we will do. We
have already improved the security around our training institutions
nationwide and we are working with the military and other security
agencies to protect all our facilities."
Also, Ojukwu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said he did not have
details of the attack on the Police Academy in Gworza, Borno State.
He said, "We are in touch with the commissioners of police in the
neighbouring states and there are plans to clear the academy of all
insurgents. We are working with the military on that. As soon as there
are updates, I will let you know."
Speaking on the attack on the police formation, a security expert, Ben
Okezie, said security forces had to do more to battle insurgents.
He said, "We can't say we are winning this war now because each time
the group relaxes, it is to reinforce and stage deadlier attacks that
can shake the nation. I don't think the Police are still training
their personnel in the school. Otherwise, the place would have been
better protected with riot policemen who would give Boko Haram a
serious fight."
But another security consultant, Max Gbanite, said it is difficult to
predict the outcome of asymmetrical warfare. He noted that the
government had begun to understand how to fight the war by signing a
multi-national joint agreement with neighbouring countries to combat
the insurgents.
He said, "The government has begun to understand how the war would be
fought but, unfortunately, the insurgents won't wait for them to
purchase sophisticated weapons. The group has divided the nation and
conspired to make the Army look bad by dressing in military uniforms
and doing terrible things."
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