Following six months of training, the 10,000 police constables that the Nigeria Police Force hired last year graduated from several police colleges on Thursday.
The new officers were sent to their home states for community policing, according to Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
In accordance with President Bola Tinubu’s agreement, he noted, the Force was aiming for 30,000 new recruits annually.
At the Passing Out Parade at the Police Training School, Bauchi, on Thursday, Egbetokun, said the new personnel would boost the Nigeria police capacity, saying that they had been deployed to their states of origin for community policing.
The IG, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Police Command, Auwal Muhammad, tasked the 10,000 new constables to adhere to professionalism, fairness and friendliness in the discharge of their duties.
The IG explained that the passing out exercise was taking place at 04 premier colleges and 12 Police Training Schools nationwide.
He said, “The exercise marks the culmination of a six-month rigorous training programme that has pushed the recruits to their physical and intellectual limits.
“Today’s Passing-Out Parade signifies a pivotal transition for these individuals, as they formally assume their roles as professional police officers, leaving their civilian status behind and embarking on a career of service and duty.”
Egbetokun maintained that in the course of their training, the constables had been instilled with the necessary orientation to effectively address the complex security challenges facing the country while adhering to the principles of the law.
The IG said, “Our comprehensive and research-based curriculum has equipped them with fundamental policing ethics, norms, and practices, as well as modern law enforcement principles.
“We have high expectations for this graduating class of constables, and we are confident that they will uphold the values imparted to them during their training, thereby contributing to the enhancement of law enforcement in our country.
“The President’s approval for the annual recruitment of 30,000 police constables over the next few years is expected to strengthen our internal security, enhance police performance, and promote optimal police service delivery nationwide,” Egbetokun added.
He emphasised his commitment to driving the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda towards transforming the Nigeria Police Force into a reformed, well-positioned, and capable institution that effectively fulfils its internal security mandate.
He disclosed that a significant majority of the newly graduated police constables had been posted in their states of origin under community policing.
