police officers in troubled Borno State over unpaid allowances as unfortunate and an ugly epitaph of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
The opposition party said the development confirms that the Buhari Presidency was not committed to providing security for troubled states, despite huge resources at its disposal, but has only been paying lip service and giving false assurances to the people.
Police officers on special duty in Borno State protested in Maiduguri, Borno State capital on Monday.
The officers, deployed from across the country to help fight insurgency in the state, took over some streets on Monday morning, in protest of the non-payment of their allowances.
It was gathered that they are owed six months of allowances.
Eyewitnesses in the beleaguered city told TheNiche the embittered officers, who barricaded a major highway in the city, shot sporadically into the air, burning tyres, and spraying teargas, thus causing commotion in the area.
The development also led to the disruption of vehicular movements in the area as most commuters avoided the highway.
The aggrieved officers have reportedly not been paid any of their allowances since they were deployed to Borno in January.
They were seen armed and matching towards the command headquarters to report their grievances.
Some of them who spoke to reporters complained of the “inhuman” treatment they have been subjected to since their deployment.
Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, was reported to have called for calm, blaming the non-payment of the allowances on late passage of the Federal budget by the National Assembly..
The statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, asked, “Is it not disconcerting that policemen, who daily risk their lives at the fronts, are denied their allowances for months; left unaccommodated, without basic needs and kept forlorn in the face of battle, while their commander-in-chief and top officers enjoy the comfort of their huge offices in Abuja, from where they grandstand about their non-existent commitment to security?”
The PDP said “Nigerians can now see that this administration is overtly deceitful, thrives on propaganda, lies, false claims and is never committed to the good of the people even as it blames everyone else for its failures.”
“The PDP strongly believes that the situation is more than has met the eyes. We therefore demand an urgent investigation to get to the root of this pathetic situation and stress that findings of such investigations must be made public.
“Finally, while we urge the aggrieved policemen to exercise restrain, we charge the police high command to ensure their immediate payment and do all to restore the morale of all our men at the front.”