The Commandant, Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, AIG Sadiq I. Abubakar, on Tuesday, hinted that arrangements have been concluded to establish Faculty of Education in the institution.
The Commandant who spoke to members of Kano state Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), during an interactive session in his office also revealed that the Academy is making plans to offer Diploma and Certificate Courses on Police Science, most especially, forensic studies.
According to him, such innovation will save cost and the risk of officers travelling abroad for special courses in that field.
“We are planning big for it. We want to start offering diploma and Certificate Courses on Police science, particularly, on forensic studies.
“We have all the resources to do it even better than some of these countries where our officers travel for special courses. We have the required manpower, we have the equipment.
“We have the infrastructure. Our environment is very friendly for such courses. We have the hostels. Look at an empty hostel there built by the CBN. So, we are ready to start offering these courses.”
AIG Abubakar further stated that what informed the introduction of Faculty of Education in the Academy is to train police officers who will be recruited as teachers for both primary and secondary schools, including tertiary institutions.
According to him, being the only Police Academy in West Africa, the institution has trained so many officers, “including myself. It was first established in Kaduna. The Inspectors were trained at Challawa, but later it was harmonized, both Inspectors and cadets are trained here.
“Looking at the crime rate in the world, it is important for countries to train police officers. I think that was why the authorities decided to establish this instruction.
“The institution was transformed into a degree award institution in 2013. Since then, the Academy has passed out four sets; we are currently planning for the passing out parade of the fifth set coming up very soon.”
According to him, “crime anywhere in the world is dynamic. It changes with situation. This is the purpose for which the institution is established. Nigeria as a society deserves the kind of police it wants.”
The Commandant appealed for the cooperation of the media in helping the police to do their job better, pointing out that, “if Nigeria has the plan to have a better society, that means it has the plan to have a better police.
“And one of the factors that will bring about a better police to the society is the journalists. So the journalists are like teachers, they see the wrongs and they correct the wrongs.
“We appreciate you, we definitely welcome your contributions. Criticize us where we go wrong, and applaud us where we are right.”
He also hinted that the presence of the Academy is positively impacting on the host community through provision of social services in the area of health, education and job creation.
The Commandant also hinted that the Academy has also introduced skills acquisition programmes for under-graduates.
“We are engaging on entrepreneurship. Very soon, we will be producing our own bread, water, uniforms, kits, and other things,” he added.
The Commandant, who said the Federal Government has been gracious in funding the institution, also used the opportunity to appeal to well-to-do individuals and corporate organizations to complement government’s efforts through free-will donations, promising that whatever that is given for the development of the Academy would be judiciously utilized.
