Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police, has announced that policemen killed during the recent #EndSARS protests would be given posthumous promotion to the next rank, alongside those injured.
Mohammed, who made the declaration while addressing a cross section of policemen at the Edo State Police Command headquarters, during a morale-boosting visit to Benin City on Wednesday, also ordered the officers and men of the police who had been absent from the streets to go back to their duty post and combat the rising wave of crime.
The IGP’s word to the police is coming on the heels of the same appeal to policemen by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The IGP said he was fully in touch with the Police Service Commission (PSC) to ensure that those who either died or injured were promoted to their next rank.
According to the IGP, “Arrangements are being made to compensate the families of those who died and also those who were injured during the #EndSARS protests.
“For those who died, adequate compensation will be given to their families and they will also be given posthumous promotion to their next rank.
“Those who were injured will also get the same packages. We are working with the Police Service Commission to ensure that they are promoted.”
Mohammed, who reeled out some incentives approved by the present administration to boost the morale of policemen, noted that over 60,000 retired policemen were poised to benefit from the health insurance scheme recently approved by the Federal Government.
Against the backdrop of this initiative and the new salary scheme for police officers, he tasked them to confront criminals headlong instead of vacating the streets for them to freely operate.
“You don’t need to be demoralised. You don’t need to vacate the public space for criminals to operate. You need to occupy everywhere.
“I know that some of your stations were burnt during the protests but the governor (Godwin Obaseki) has already promised to rebuild them.”
The deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, who reiterated the state government’s determination to cater for the welfare of policemen, echoed the Inspector General’s advice that policemen should not vacate the streets for criminals