- The Nigerian government has begun constructing a modern divisional police HQ in Mpape, Abuja, designed to enhance security
- The project will incorporate advanced technology to address crime, including kidnapping and robbery, in Mpape and surrounding areas
- TheRadar compiled some of the public reactions following the announcement of the smart police headquarters below
The Nigerian government has officially launched the construction of a smart divisional police headquarters and six residential quarters for police officers in Mpape, a community in Abuja’s Bwari Area Council.
Ibrahim Gaidam, Minister of Police Affairs, was represented at the groundbreaking ceremony by Yusuf Abubakar Argungu, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. The event was marked by the announcement of the project, which was aimed to enhance security in the region.
Government pledges to build inclusive, technology-driven police force
According to a statement released on Sunday, December 15 by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Bolaji Kazeem, the new police headquarters will incorporate modern technology as part of a broader effort to reform policing in Nigeria.
The statement read, “The presence of this divisional headquarters of the police in this location will protect citizens commuting daily for their activities from the dangers of kidnapping, one-chance operations, and robbery, as well as other related crimes affecting people in the city.
“The Federal Government is committed to the emergence of a world-class police force that is inclusive, intelligence-led, technology-driven, and community-based.”
Nigerians react to smart police headquarters
Following the announcement, Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions, with some questioning whether the country has the capacity to maintain such a project on a long long-term while some others emphasised on proper training and orientation for the Nigerian police.
TheRadar compiled some of the public responses to the government's security initiative below:
“It’s not just about building, can they maintain it? We lack a maintenance culture in this country. Before you know it, in six months to a year, the place will be dirty and neglected, leaky pipes, stained walls, and unpleasant smells everywhere,” Treazy reacted.
“Is it not the physical police personnel that would be running the Smart station? Would bail be truly free there?🤔,” Johnson stated.
“The problem is with the contents not the container,” Mazi Uche Okeudo stated.
“Smart building olodo police 🚔 misplaced priority. They should focuse more on training and orientation,” Mr Arinze reacted.
“So that one Officer Okon will now tell you that their servers are down, and that you must pay for them to have their mechanics, engineers, pilots and astronauts fix the server, or else you'd be spending 3 months in the cell until the servers are restored,” der phoenix added.
“Smart Police Stations?!🤔 Are you serious? The current Nigerian Police needs to be completely demobilized after training and qualifying new police officers and personnel with moral and humane specifications that respect the dignity of the Nigerian person regardless of his ethnic, regional or religious background,” Seysaban13 added.
“What makes it 'smart'? Just build a basic structure with Windows 98 computer and it becomes smart?
If you go there now to ask of full data of arrested citizens in police custody in a different state...crickets,” Illumina commented.
“Is it by construction of a smart police station or having smart police men,” Spence stated.
All 36 states submit positions on state police, majority back proposal
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the positions of all 36 states on State Police had been submitted, with most advocating for state-managed policing.
The push for state police came amid rising insecurity, food price hikes, and economic challenges.