Policemen Killed During #EndSARS Protests Will Be Promoted — IGP

Mohammed Adamu, the In­spector General of Police, has announced that police­men killed during the recent #EndSARS protests would be given posthumous promotion to the next rank, alongside those injured.

Mohammed, who made the declaration while addressing a cross section of policemen at the Edo State Police Com­mand headquarters, during a morale-boosting visit to Be­nin City on Wednesday, also ordered the officers and men of the police who had been ab­sent from the streets to go back to their duty post and combat the rising wave of crime.

The IGP’s word to the police is coming on the heels of the same appeal to policemen by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The IGP said he was fully in touch with the Police Ser­vice Commission (PSC) to ensure that those who either died or injured were promot­ed to their next rank.

According to the IGP, “Ar­rangements are being made to compensate the families of those who died and also those who were injured during the #EndSARS protests.

“For those who died, ade­quate compensation will be given to their families and they will also be given post­humous promotion to their next rank.

“Those who were injured will also get the same packag­es. We are working with the Police Service Commission to ensure that they are pro­moted.”

Mohammed, who reeled out some incentives approved by the present administration to boost the morale of policemen, noted that over 60,000 retired policemen were poised to ben­efit from the health insurance scheme recently approved by the Federal Government.

Against the backdrop of this initiative and the new sal­ary scheme for police officers, he tasked them to confront criminals headlong instead of vacating the streets for them to freely operate.

“You don’t need to be de­moralised. You don’t need to vacate the public space for criminals to operate. You need to occupy everywhere.

“I know that some of your stations were burnt during the protests but the governor (Godwin Obaseki) has already promised to rebuild them.”

The deputy governor, Com­rade Philip Shaibu, who reit­erated the state government’s determination to cater for the welfare of policemen, echoed the Inspector General’s advice that policemen should not va­cate the streets for criminals.

Shaibu remarked that thugs hijacked what was sup­posed to be a peaceful protest by the #EndSARS protesters and unleashed mayhem on peaceful Edo people, not­ing that the people were not against policemen.