‘SPY POLICE…PART OF COMMUNITY POLICING, HELPS POLICE TO DISCHARGE ITS DUTIES’ – Police Training School Commandant, DCP Garba
By Starimagenews
* Police Training School, Ikeja graduates 220 spy police officers
* Spy Matthew Ibadin calls long stay on course ‘a blessing in disguise’
* New SPY officers donate a sports field, bus, gate to training school
The Police Training School, Ikeja recently graduated 220 professionals from Course 5, 2019 and Course 1, 2020 of the Supernumerary Police, otherwise known as SPY Police. Set up by Section 46 of the Police Act CAP 359 of 1968 and reviewed under Section 418 of the Police Act CAP 359 of 1990, the SPY Police compliment the services of regular officers and protect property in organizations. The officers are well-trained and well-equipped to act more privately in the corporate environment.
The Commandant, Police Training School, Ikeja, DCP Musa Yusuf Garba stated: ‘This is the longest course due to the pandemic which took almost 10 months instead of regular 3 months. We want them to go and exhibit the discipline and character that we have taught them.’
On the clamor for community policing, the commandant remarked: ‘Community policing has been part of the police for a long time. The spy police consists of civil servants and business owners who come in and get trained. Then go about their normal duties to help police in the discharge of our duties. We don’t segregate applications as far as they fulfill the prerequisite for the course.’
During the passing out parade, two courses were graduated. One from 2019 and the other from 2020. Some of the new SPY officers shared their thoughts.
Engr. Spy Jacqueline Ozieh shared: ‘Though I have engineering background, I joined this course to learn discipline. Believe it or not, coming every morning, attending the drills and classroom courses teaches a lot of discipline. The course affected my family a bit but they all understand what I am doing. It takes hard work to go through this course. This course instills discipline and character. Before I came in here, I look at the police as ‘just there’ but now I look at the organization with more respect and honor.’
Spy Matthew Ibadin said: ‘I am G1, course 1 of 2020. As spy police officers, we interface between the community and the police. The Commandant called our course ‘unique course’ because of the good working relationship among us.’
‘We saw the delay we heard as a blessing in disguise. You can see the project we were able to accomplish due to the time on our hands. The parade ground and field we did is one of the most gigantic projects. The place used to be swampy but we have remodeled it.’
Abiodun Peters, a legal practitioner by training ‘I am a part of the Supernumerary Police Course 5, 2019. There was a lot of excitement when we finished but we respect the decision of the school to push the passing out parade forward to comply with safety protocol. The passing out parade today has been done in a controlled manner which is a milestone.’
‘It is our role to partner the community with the police. We need to take it beyond the class to our daily activities and into our various communities. The incidence of the last few months is a clarion call to take community policing seriously and more importantly, to bridge the gap between the institution and common man. We need to position ourselves to be accessible, approachable and understand what the challenges of the institution are, to build back the trust in the police and ensure that security is top notch.’
One of the highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of awards to outstanding graduates.