The former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, has urged the Federal Government to recruit unemployed youths into the police force so as to boost the capacity and efficiency of the force.
He said the police can not do effective job when they are understaffed.
Okiro, who disclosed this while speaking to aviation correspondents last Friday shortly on arrival from Abuja, noted that government had not done enough in terms of providing enabling environment for the police to work efficiently.
“Can you imagine how millions of Nigerian youths roam the streets without a job. How would you explain that, and how would the police do effective job when they are understaffed?
“Government has not done much in providing the enabling environment for security, especially the police. The police is not well funded.
“The strength of the police now is so small, because government has not done much to equip the police for effective job. When these unemployed youths are massively recruited, it will boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the police force, and in another way, reduce unemployment”, he said.
The former police boss posited that the issue of security is not for government alone, but for everyone, adding that all that government can do is to provide the enabling environment.
He also called on citizens and government to assist the police to ensure that their job is done effectively by providing enabling environment and giving adequate information to the police.
Okiro, however, discouraged the free carriage and use of arms and ammunition in the society, pointing out the danger in such liberty, even in the developed countries.
He called on the general public not to harbour criminals who hide in their domains to do kidnapping and other acts of criminality but should report them promptly to the police for arrest and prosecution.