According to a report by Arise News, on Friday December 12, 2025, the dire state of welfare and kitting within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is a far greater problem than manpower, according to Chikwe Udensi, a System Consultant and representative of the Interpol Central Bureau. Udensi stated that most police officers are forced to purchase their own uniforms and equipment from the open market, leading to a visibly unprofessional appearance and leaving them vulnerable on duty.
Udensi was emphatic in his condemnation of a system that fails to provide basic operational gear to its personnel.
“Every police officer, most police officers right now, except for a few that get some supplies from the store, they buy everything from the from the open market, which shouldn’t be which shouldn’t be. They buy their uniforms, their belts.”
He lamented that the lack of proper issuance leaves officers looking visibly underequipped and unprofessional, even resorting to wearing casual footwear on patrol.
“They are well not kitted. Have you seen the policeman on the streets? The police the policeman in the street doesn’t look like a policeman. They’re not properly kitted like like policemen. Look at how they look and sometimes you see them wearing bathroom slippers.”
The security implications of this neglect are severe, particularly when officers are deployed to high-risk areas without the necessary protection. Udensi noted that the lack of critical safety gear exposes officers to unacceptable danger.
“When they are on a bit, very dangerous bit we have in the country. They no proper body armor that protects them.”
He also criticized the complicity of private institutions, particularly the financial sector, which benefits significantly from police protection but fails to contribute adequately to the officers’ welfare.
“Even when they are protecting the banks, the banks that are making billions of dollars or billions of naira every year declaring profits cannot provide effectively for the policeman.”
Udensi concluded with a powerful recommendation for the government, insisting that a thorough and meaningful overhaul of police welfare, training, and recruitment is necessary before any expansion of the force can be justified.
“So in that circumstance, the first and foremost thing to do provide the welfare to be meaningful. Make sure you profile for their welfare, profile for their training, and also profile properly before you have them.
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