Buhari’s government increased Police budget from N16bn to N400bn — Minister

The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Dingyadi, has claimed the Buhari government increased the budgetary allocation to the Nigeria Police from N16 billion to about N400 billion annually.

The minister stated this on Friday in Abuja, during his official handover to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Abel Enitan.

Dingyadi stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration has transformed the fortune of the Nigeria Police for the better during its eight years.

He noted that his major policy thrust on assumption of office as minister was the total reformation of the Nigerian Police operations.

“With the support of Mr President, we have been able to do a lot for the police during my tenure.

“We have been able to put machinery in motion to ensure that we reform the Nigeria Police to the best we could to ensure that they are in tune with the international standard.

“Before we came in, the budgetary allocation to the Nigeria Police was N16 billion per annum, but today, Buhari government has increased it to about N400 billion annually,” he said.

He said the administration was able to provide various infrastructural facilities in terms of equipment, vehicles and other logistics needed for police operations.

According to him, we are aware of what the Police Trust Fund is doing to support the police in the provision of facilities.

He said the support was possible because of the increased funding of the police by the federal government.

The minister said the achievements were possible because the ministry keyed into president Buhari’s reform policy of the Nigeria Police.

Dingyadi noted that the state of insecurity was his ministry’s major challenge  while in office.

“In addition to the terrorism and banditry, we also had challenges of IPOB and other challenges that the Nigeria  Police confronted head-on that led to the deaths of some of its personnel.

“By and large, the police have been able to address the situation and we can boldly say that the situation is under control now, except for some pockets of kidnapping and banditry,” he said.

The minister commended members of staff of the ministry for their support and commitment to duty during his tenure.