Policemen fighting Boko Haram lament non-payment of allowances

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja

Policemen on counter-insurgency operations in the north-east region have complained about the non-payment of their allowances by the state governments.

Specifically, some policemen serving in Borno State told our correspondent that they have not been paid for about three months, while others who had just concluded their tour of duty alleged that they were under-paid.


“Before now, policemen on counter-insurgency operations in Borno State were paid N30,000, but this was later reduced to N15,000 due to the economic situation. Our set was paid N7,000 instead of N15,000 and we don’t know if this was done by the state government or by the police command,” a policeman, who felt shortchanged stated.

Another police officer who had just returned from the battle front after spending three months engaging Boko Haram terrorists, explained that he and his colleagues were not paid, but were asked to hold on by the police authorities.

“We were not paid a dime, we were simply informed that the allowances have not been paid by the state government. I don’t know why the police were treated this way, because I am sure they would not ask members of the armed forces to be patient,” the police officer said.

But the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, who confirmed the delay in the payment of the policemen, noted that the police high command was holding discussions with the governors of the north-eastern states over the non-payment of allowances to police personnel on counter-insurgency operations.

Arase who said this in response to questions during his meeting with Commissioners of Police on Wednesday in Abuja, admitted that the policemen had complained to his office about the non-payment of their allowances for about four months now.