As part of strategies to contain
terrorism in Africa, the police will on June 10 deploy 140 personnel to
Mali in support of the ECOWAS and Africa Union-led peace initiative.
Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar, stated this on Friday shortly before handing over the Nigerian
and Police flags to the Commissioner of Police in charge of
Peacekeeping, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The flags are symbols of authority, which empower the troops to represent the nation and force in Mali.
The personnel drawn from the Formed
Police Unit consists of specialised sections trained in riot control and
counter-terrorism and, are equipped with modern crime-fighting and
peacekeeping equipment.
Abubakar tasked them to take their assignment seriously and be good ambassadors of the force as well as the nation.
The IG counselled the personnel to be
dedicated, committed, honest and professional; to shun all forms of
vices and respect human rights while keeping the peace in Mali.
Currently, the force has seven staff
officers in Mali including Deputy Commissioner of Police Subair Kamar,
who is in charge of the African Mission in Mali.
The IG reminded them that the force had
created outstanding record of good performance in peacekeeping missions,
making the African Union Commission in recent time to commend the force
peacekeepers in Somalia.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola
Ibrahim, congratulated the officers for being selected to keep the peace
in Mali and also charged them to be true ambassadors of the force and
nation.
Represented by Maj.-Gen. Hussain Saliu, he warned them to behave professionally as they would be closely monitored.
Nigeria’s ambassador to Ethiopia and
permanent representative to the AU, Mr. Bulus Lolo, noted that
peacekeeping was one of the areas where the country had excelled in its
foreign policy.
Lolo said it was a privilege and honour
for anyone to be called upon to serve the country in any capacity and
charged them to “be peacekeepers and not peace abusers,” and to “expect
the unexpected.”
He said when they found themselves in a difficult situation, they should be guided by the best of judgment.
The deployment to Mali brings to 10 the
number of countries where officers and men of the Nigeria Police are
currently keeping the peace.
The other countries are Cote d’ Voire, DRC, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
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