The Nigeria Police Force has spent over N600m to
procure and maintain foreign dogs in the past few years
to enhance security, the Inspector-General of Police,
Solomon Arase, has said.
Arase stated that the police had failed to tap into the
immeasurable anti-crime opportunities which abound in
the Force Animal Branch.
Speaking while inaugurating a dog breeding centre and
an ultra-modern mounted troop stable on Thursday in
Abuja, the IG said the facilities were established as part
of strategies to enhance the capacity of security
operatives to tackle crime and insecurity in the country.
According to him, the breeding centre which is capable
of producing over 200 dogs per annum is meant to
complement the technical and human assets of the
police and other security agencies to address the
current security challenge facing the country.
The IG, who alongside the Minister of Interior,
Abdulrahman Dambazau, inspected the veterinary
equipment, including the official Binggo dog food for
the centre, said that the facility would make the Force
self-reliant to locally bred police dogs in a cost-
effective manner while saving the nation some foreign
exchange.
Arase explained that the facility would also breed
puppies for the public on commercial basis “with the
intention of evolving the centre into a self-sustaining
dog breeding centre, as practiced in other policing
climes.”
He said, “My experience as the IG points to the fact that
the immeasurable anti-crime opportunities which
abound in the Force Animal Branch have remained
under-utilised, while the Force continued to rely on
importation of dogs and other animals to advance the
attainment of its mandate.
“In fact, records show that the Nigeria Police Force has
spent over N600m in the last few years just on the
procurement and maintenance of these foreign dogs.
This is certainly not sustainable, especially in the face of
current dwindling resources.”
The police chief said with the initiative, the Force would
soon take its pride of place among countries with
“professional K-9 ability,” adding that the dog facility
was fashioned after the Canadian Royal Mounted Police,
reputed to be the global leader in dog breeding.
Dambazau lauded the initiative, saying it would provide
opportunities to build the capacity of security operatives
while also generating employment.
He said, “What the police have done has provided
opportunity to build capacity and generate employment.
“The K9 project is a good idea to combat the security
challenge in the country. Dogs can detect bombs and
also identify those carrying explosives; the Nigeria
Immigration Service can benefit from it in terms of
cross-border security. The police should ensure the
nation gets maximum benefits from this facility.”
Punch
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