Nigerians have raised concerns over the recent recruitment of 50 repentant thugs into the Kano State Police Command. These individuals have been enrolled as police special constabularies, as confirmed by the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usaini Gumel.
During their passing out parade, the Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna, expressed, “Today is a joyous day for the people of Kano State and the Police Command as we celebrate the graduation of fifty (50) youths out of the two hundred and twenty-two (222) repentant thugs who voluntarily surrendered.”
In response to this development, Nigerians took to social media to share their opinions, with concerns that this move might lead to unruly behavior among security agents.
Defending Kano State’s decision, the Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, clarified, “They are not policemen. They are repentant individuals who have been mobilized into Kano State’s constabulary scheme, a community-based initiative.”
In response to Adejobi’s statement, questions were raised by the public, seeking clarity on the evaluation and assessment of these recruits, as well as the process of verifying their repentance.
Amid reactions to this recruitment, some individuals called for transparency and questioned whether these recruits could be confidently authenticated as suitable candidates for the police force.
While further controversy arose concerning the alleged recruitment of a notorious miscreant among the new constabularies, the situation has led to mixed reactions from the public, with some expressing their skepticism about the process.
The Commissioner of Police, Gumel, made further clarifications, emphasizing that no criminals were recruited into the police force. He noted that one of the recruits, Nasiru Abdullahi, also known as ‘Chile Madobi,’ was among the 222 ‘repentant influential youths’ who denounced violence and sought to become “good ambassadors” of the state. These individuals were granted amnesty by the state government, de-radicalized, and offered opportunities for skills acquisition and empowerment.
The controversy continues, with discussions about the suitability of these recruits and the impact of their involvement in law enforcement activities.
