The Plateau State Police Command has cleared the air concerning the involvement of one Police Constabulary who is said to be among those neutralized in Mangu Local Government Area by Operation Safe Haven operatives.
According to a press release on Thursday, 13th July 2023 signed by the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, said that the Special Constabulary is a scheme employed by the then Police administration between 2018 and 2019 with the support of the state governments who arranged training colleges and paid for the cost of training.
The statement read, “It involves the voluntary recruitment of able-bodied men and women of all ages to give teeth to the concept of community policing in all parts of the nation. The men were selected by their Traditional Rulers/Local Government Chairmen to be persons of credible character and brought to the Police for training. The special Constabularies are to aid the Police in intelligence gathering and not to in any way bear firearms. They are only mandated to be physically present at the Police station for two hours daily.
“The deceased who was among those neutralized by the Operation Safe Haven operatives, one Katzing Zwalnan Zingfa of Langtang North Local Government Area, Tarok by tribe, born on 23/11/1990. On completion of his training on 13/11/2020, he was posted to Langtang North Area Command and later to Langtang North Division to carry out his mandate of assisting the Police in crime prevention and intelligence gathering.
“The personnel in question absconded from duty for over a year now and by his action of absconding from duty, his character was already in question, hence he was defaulted severally by the DPO Langtang North before declaring him a deserter according to the first schedule, 1990 and section 107 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020. The Area Commander, Langtang also directed all DPOs in the Area Command to arrest him, as soon as he is seen.
“The DPOs have been on the lookout for the said personnel until 12/07/2023 when the Operation Safe Haven operatives did a good job by neutralizing three bandits in Mangu LGA among whom was the said SCP Katzing Zwalnan Zingfa.
“To this end, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Bartholomew N. Onyeka psc(+) wishes to inform the general public that it is true that the above-named deceased was once a member of the Special Constabulary of the Nigeria Police Force, but wants the general public to note that he has since been declared a deserter and has been dismissed from the force. All efforts to track him and retrieve all Police accouterment proved abortive, until 12th July 2023 when he met his Waterloo.
“The entirety of the Nigeria Police Force wishes to at this point, distance itself from the activities of the said personnel who at the time of committing this act, was not in any way a member of the Force as he has already been dismissed.
“The CP further warned that the Nigeria Police Force will never tolerate any of its officers with criminal tendencies within the force, and will always do its best to ensure that they have no place in the force.
“He therefore urges the good people of Plateau State to go about their lawful businesses and give the Police accurate, timely, and useful information to enable proactive response to crime and criminality within the state.
