The Nigerian Police Service Commission (PSC) has justified the recruitment of “repentant thugs” as part of the police officers drafted to fight crime in Kano State.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said in a statement on Thursday that the “repentant criminals” were recruited as police constabulary because they had realised that crimes do not pay.
He said their engagement was obviously for visibility and to promote sustainable peace, economic growth and development of the state, adding they had gotten adequate training on the policing system in the country.
Ani said the special constabulary were not policemen and that they are not recognised by the commission and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that the PSC would continue to recruit such persons since the Police Act captured that.
He quoted the chairman of the commission, Solomon Arase, as saying that security is not only a government responsibility but that of every Nigerian while calling for a citizen-based approach to security in Nigeria.
Nigerians had expressed displeasure over the recruitment of about 50 “repentant thugs” into the police force in Kano State, calling on the authorities to be circumspect when recruiting.
