By Seun Adams
The Acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, on Monday said misuse of firearms and extra-judicial killings
by police officers may be attributed to work-related stresses and emotional conditions which disorient their rationality.
The IG made the disclosure at the maiden conference of the Heads of Nigeria Police Medical Facilities which held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
He said: “Indeed, arguments have been raised that the resonating incidents of misuse of firearms and other extra-judicial actions by police personnel often result directly from work-related stresses and emotional conditions which disorient their rationality.
“In consideration of this, I have ordered that with immediate effect, the shift duty structure of the Nigeria Police which is currently a 12-hour, 2-shifts system should be reverted to the traditional 8hours, 3-shifts shift standard.
According t him, the directive is specifically informed by the need to address a major, age-long occupational stress which long hours of duty engenders among personnel in the Nigeria Police Force and which occasions depression and abuse of power and other unprofessional conducts.
For purpose of clarity, henceforth, he underscores that no police personnel should be made to perform any duty exceeding 8-hours within a space of 24 hours unless there is a local or national emergency.
He said: “In advancing this intention, the NPMS must complement the leadership of the Nigeria Police by striving at all times to guarantee a healthy work-life balance and ensuring that our officers attain the highest possible level of health status that will prevent occupational health stress factors which manifest into fatigue, compromised immune system, heart diseases and high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, irritability, risk of substance abuse and emotional instability.
“All of these, if not medically managed, could engender unprofessional reactions with fatal consequences to the affected police personnel and members of the public.
“Additionally, the NPMS must start emplacing strategies and techniques including cognitive therapy and emotional intelligence models that will strengthen the stress management capacity and operational resilience of all personnel.”
According to him, the Nigeria Police take pride in the fact that the NPMS has some of the finest and most experienced Medical Officers and it has expanded significantly over the years from just one healthcare facility in 1975 to 144 in 2019 across the country.
The IG said he is conscious of the peculiar challenges associated with the increase and spread of our healthcare facilities which include inadequate number and mix of healthcare professionals, and insufficient infrastructure and equipment amongst others.
The conference, he revealed provides an avenue for Medical Officers in the Police to interact, engage in professional peer review and draw on practice experiences that could aid them in enhancing their knowledge and service delivery.
Most importantly, this conference will assist the Police leadership in identifying gaps within the operations of the Medical Services and in proposing pathways towards strengthening the capacity of the section as they project into the future, he said.
Adamu said: “Within this context, I wish to reiterate that the policing and internal security management strategy under the current police leadership is woven around the principles of community policing.
“The import of this is that the Police must evolve a new orientation in terms of the nature of their interaction and content of services they render to the public in all spheres of their professional engagements.
“This is the only way to build trust between the Nigeria Police and the citizens and it is the most veritable pathway towards returning the Police to the community they serve.
“Consequently, we must evolve new strategic approaches in which the Police Medical Services will play a critical role.
“Beyond the traditional obligations of meeting the medical needs of serving and retired police personnel, the Police Medical Services must start viewing its roles from the strategic policing lens which requires of them the responsibility of engaging in medical outreaches to targeted communities, educational institutions, youths and children population, and enhancing their capacity to mobilize to medically challenged communities with a view to rendering professional medical services.”