Mobile policemen bring Maiduguri to standstill as they protest being owed seven month arrears

BORNO State capital Maiduguri was thrown into chaos yesterday after hundreds of mobile policemen staged a demonstration to protest being owed seven months allowance arrears and corruption within the hierarchy of the force.

In a worrying development, which left local residents perplexed, the policemen disrupted economic activities as they blocked the Maiduguri-Kano Highway. They chanted slogans calling the inspector-general of police Ibrahim Idris, names, saying he has been selling promotion to those who have connections.

Among the songs they were chanting were: "IG is corrupt," "IG is a thief," "Where are our allowances?" "Buhari is a good man but IG has eaten our allowances," "Buhari must hear this."

Once the protest started, all the public schools around the Borno Police Command were forced to join as pupils abandoned their academic activities. Such schools include Ramat Polytechnic, Government College, Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education and Umar Mustapha Arabic College.

One of the policemen said: "We have about 50 squadrons here, we are all visiting mobile policemen. Can you imagine that we have not been paid our allowances for seven months? Some of our personnel here lost their children simply because they could not afford health services.

"Just go inside the commands, you would see where some of our personnel have been sleeping for months. They brought us here for special service but we have subjected to slavery here. Soldiers are receiving their monthly allowances plus three meals per day but we don't enjoy such. We demand explanations."

During the protest, the policemen called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate Mr Idris for his role in the corruption and backdoor promotion within the command. They lamented that since their arrival in Borno, they had been subjected to inhumane treatment by Mr Idris.

Another protester added: "We want the president to know our plight and address it. We also want the president to investigate those who are buying promotion and it should be reversed."

Damian Chukwu, the Borno State police commissioner, said the delay in the signing of the 2018 budget was responsible for non payment of the allowances. He added that the police hierarchy was aware of the problem and was working to find a solution.