The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, has drawn attention to the inadequate annual budgetary allocation to the Nigeria Police Force.

While appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs to defend the 2018 budget estimate of the force, the police chief pointed out that the allocations make it difficult to meet the current security needs of the country.

The IGP also appealed to the lawmakers to fast-track the passage of the Police Trust Fund bill which is before the National Assembly to help address funding of the Police Force.

The Senate Committee on Police Affairs had on September 10, 2017 considered passing a bill for direct funding of the police for effective crime prevention.

This information came from the Chairman of the committee, Senator Abu Ibrahim, during an assessment tour of police deployment along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

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Senator Ibrahim, who was accompanied on the visit by the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Mr Agyole Abeh, described the budgetary allocation for the police as very poor and totally unacceptable.

According to him, a situation where the police use funds meant for purchasing of equipment and welfare of its personnel for special operations is not proper if Nigeria must win the war against kidnapping and other criminal activities.

The Kaduna-Abuja highway became notorious for kidnapping, armed robbery, and cattle rustling since 2016 until June 2017, before the heavy presence of police personnel on the highway.

Gunmen had kidnapped at least 20 people including lawmakers, diplomats and other travellers on the road, a situation that prompted the Inspector General of Police to deploy about 600 Special Forces to the area.