The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Thursday, said the activities of the Nigeria Peace Corps posed a security threat to the country.
He stated that the recruitment and operational procedures of the corps did not conform to the law establishing security agencies in Nigeria.
Idris added that the corps Commandant, Dickson Akoh, and 49 others, who were arrested on Tuesday night, would soon be charged to court.
He spoke in Lagos during a three-day training programme organised for senior police officers by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Kayode Aderanti.
He said, “Nigeria is not a lawless country. You can’t just wake up overnight and establish a security organisation. There are processes.
Security is the responsibility of the executive arm of government and there are processes to take. Even it took the police almost a year to recruit 10,000.
“I want us to appreciate that we have so many challenges in this country and we don’t want some of these people of questionable characters to enter our security services and constitute a threat to the security of this country. And that is what the peace corps is doing. You don’t just go on the streets and be picking people by the virtue of the fact that they give you money.
“The commandant was picked up in a joint operation involving the police, the military and the DSS. We are going to charge him to court.”
The IG, however, said the training with the theme, “Towards a More Professional and Proficient Police Service Delivery,” was aimed at ensuring effective policing in the country.
“The reason for the training is to improve on the efficiency and effectiveness of our duty, which is the essence of any training,” Idris added.
Speaking at the event, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, urged the police to be technologically-driven to address the demands of modern policing. He added that doing so would make them to align with the modern security measures across the world.
