Female police officers married to civilians ordered to vacate barracks with their families

The Nigeria Police have ordered policewomen married to civilians living in different barracks in Enugu State to vacate the facilities.

SaharaReporters reports that the order is contained in a police wireless message with reference number C8:0900/ENS/PROV/VOL.1/195, DTO:100800/11/2021.

The signal which originated from the Department of Finance and Administration in Enugu State was addressed to all Assistant Commissioners of Police, ACPs, Heads of Department and Divisional Police Officers, DPOs in the state.

The document partly reads; “YOU WARN ALL WOMEN POLICE PERSONNEL SERVING WITH THEIR CIVILIAN HUSBANDS AT POLICE BARRACKS IN THE COMMAND X WITHIN JURISDICTION YOURS X TO VACATE SAME ON OR BEFORE 31/01/2022 X REPEAT 31/01/2022.“

According to police authorities, the move was to forestall security compromise in all stations and barracks within the command.

The document also asked those who sublet whole or part of their barrack accommodations to civilians to eject them or face disciplinary action.

One of the affected female officers, who spoke to SaharaReporters but did not want her name mention for fear of being sanctioned said she was shocked by the directive.

“Evicting women police from the barracks just because they are married to civilians is insane and the shameful. They should have same rights and opportunities like their male colleagues.

Gender inequality like this will affect the women psychologically and make them feel worthless just because of their choice of marriage,” she said.

Acting IGP, Alkali Baba’s wife to ban beer parlours in police barracks

Haraja Usman Baba, President of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) and wife of Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector-General of Police, says she will remove beer parlours from police barracks.

She also threatened to evict errant officers who flout the directive.

Mrs Baba stated this while addressing the association members at the POWA Hall in Ikeja, Lagos state.

“During my inspection yesterday, I saw a lot of beer parlours in barracks. I know it is you people that encouraged such. You should try and speak to your husbands to follow the rules and regulations of the barracks,” she said.

The IGP’s wife disclosed that a signal would be sent to the Force headquarters to relocate beer parlours.

“We are going to send signals immediately for the relocation of the beer parlours. If you don’t keep to it, you will be ejected out of the barracks.

“I grew up in the barracks because my father was a policeman. Then, there was no beer parlour. And with the future of our children in the barracks, we should be careful because these children are more intelligent than us,’‘ she said.

Speaking further, she bemoaned the “dirty” state of barracks while announcing that there would be continuous sanitation exercises until they are retired.

What I saw at the barracks was devastating. The barracks were unkempt. It was very dirty. If there is no sanitation nationwide, can’t you sanitise yourself, or don’t we have barracks leaders?

“There is going to be sanitation henceforth. It is going to be a continuous exercise until we are retired”, she stated.