‘We don’t give businessmen, entertainers Police protection’

Niger State Police Command on Wednesday confirmed that businessmen and entertainers are not constitutionally entitled to private Police protection in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, in an interview with Punch’s correspondent in Minna, said that the primary role of the Police is to protect lives and property of the people. “We are not part of anything short of that,” he said.

Elkana said, “If you look at the bulk of our men, they are being deployed on patrol duties. We don’t even have enough, not to talk of giving businessmen and entertainers private police protection.”

He, however, said that there are classes of individuals who, by virtue of their positions, are entitled to Police protection.

Such classes include governors and tehir deputies, chief judge of states, high court
judges, Speakers Houses of Assembly, local government chairmen, and former heads of State.

-Punch