Salary Increase Won't Stop Corruption Among Police Officers - Superintendent Of Police

 A top source in the Nigeria Police Force has said corruption in the force will continue if welfare packages of officers are not improved. 

The source, a Superintendent of Police, said though the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, already promised a salary raise for the officers, there are still other aspects of welfare that should be looked into. 

The source told SaharaReporters that even if a constable earns N200, 000 monthly, it will still not change the decay in the system. The least ranked police constable currently earns about N40,000 monthly.

He, however, stated that police brutality to people and extortion had reduced even though it had not stopped. 

He said: "I know there are plans to increase our salaries but that should not be all. That might have been done for January salary but we have yet to receive it. It's a norm in the force that January salary is usually paid on the first or second week of February, that is not even a problem.

"But aside from salary, how about other welfare packages? I understand that salary increase is being worked on but that is just a part of it. Truth is, even if a constable starts earning N200, 000 or even N250,000, some of these malpractices will not stop.

"I am not in support of corrupt officers but to reduce some of these things, the issue of welfare has to be looked into. We use stationery in our offices, printers, laptops, other gadgets basically, when those things are not available, there is a possibility that officers might still ask for money from people when those services are needed. 

"You cannot expect an officer to put his hands in his pocket and bring the money for stationery. Have you seen the quality of the furniture at our stations? Very bad."

He suggested that there should be a body or some bodies providing funds to cater for the welfare of officers and the issue of accountability should be considered. 

"There should be some sort of funding by some bodies to make provisions for officers' welfare, and a body should be set up too for accountability of the funds so that the funds will get to the appropriate quarters."

According to him, officers are now being very careful with their activities at the check points because the force had deployed officers in mufti to checkmate their excesses. 

"It has reduced but not totally stopped. If you go on the roads, you will notice that the number of checkpoints on the highway has reduced. I travelled recently to Jos, Plateau State in mufti and I noticed officers have limited the way they demand for bribes."