Concerned police personnel have sent a save-our-souls to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu to find out why the federal government is selling their barracks and forcing them to start living in civilian environments, especially with criminals.
The personnel, who visited the office of The Sun Publishing Company, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, at the weekend, said they could not comprehend why the FG is sabotaging its security personnel by selling their barracks to private individuals and pushing them into the hands of criminal elements.
Their spokesman, who simply identified himself as Johnny, for fear of victimisation, said, “This is an aberration. How come that the government that should be protecting policemen by building barracks for them to be safe is the one selling their barracks and sending personnel away to dwell among criminal elements, and how could the government that should be preaching against living outside barracks, be encouraging police personnel to start living outside barracks? This can’t happen to the military.
“Is it possible for the government to wake up one day and say they want to sell military: Army, Navy and Nigerian Air Force barracks and send personnel away and you think there will be peace? The government can’t try it with the military. That is why we are saying that, if the government doesn’t want the police to exist, it should scrap it and start using other agencies.
“We are being humiliated and insulted. In this age and time that the government should discourage policemen from living outside the barracks because of insecurity, the government is signing our death warrant by selling our barracks. Many of our colleagues have been facing serious challenges since their barracks were sold. After selling the barracks, they gave them N2 million to rent houses. Aside from the fact that the money can’t rent a two-bedroom flat in Lagos, some landlords don’t want to rent their houses to police personnel. The public already has hatred for the police. They don’t like us and won’t want us to live with them.
“The #EndSARS protest should have sent a warning to the government that we shall be endangering ourselves if we start living in the midst of civilians. We understand that not all civilians hate the police, but the criminal elements in their midst. Imagine if another protest against the government should erupt, the average policeman or woman on the streets, their children, wives and other family members will be their targets. We have not come out of the colossal damage done to us, yet the government is sending us back into their midst.
“The police, under retired IGP Kayode Egbetokun, sold the following barracks to civilians: Senior Police Officers Quarters G.R.A Ikeja, part of Police College, Ikeja, Mopol 23 Barracks, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, besides Customs office, Somolu Barracks, part of it has been converted to shops and sold to civilians, parts of Area C Barracks have been converted to shops and sold to civilians.
“Others are: Iponri Police Barracks that residents are being given forms to fill to allow them to sell by the developers and they are still quoting Egbetokun as the IGP who sent them despite the fact that the bonafide owner of Alausa Police Barracks land didn’t compromise with the the developers, they came on Monday, March 23,2026, and the officers they met refused to collect the forms from them. Alausa Police Barracks is their target now.
“This is unacceptable. The police authorities should stop the FG from sending us into the public. Let them leave us and our families alone to live in peace. Is it a crime to serve our fatherland or is it a crime to be a police officer? Why is the FG pushing us to the wall?
“Our question is, why would the FG want the IGP to sell all police barracks? Remember that Obalende Police Barracks had been destroyed and up till now nothing has been done for the displaced policemen and women. Information at our disposal shows that the son of a powerful politician wants to buy Alausa Police Barracks.
“We want to use this medium to appeal to the FG, especially President Bola Tinubu, to prevail on the government agency that is selling our barracks to discountenance the idea of selling the remaining barracks. We know that it is not IGP Olatunji Disu that signed the agreement with the FG to sell the barracks. Disu’s hands are tied, but he should seek an audience with President Tinubu and explain vividly to him why police should live in barracks and why they should not even have dreamt about selling the barracks. While we congratulate Disu as the IGP, we appeal to him to deliver our message to the President that the idea of selling police barracks is counterproductive and that police officers are endangering their lives by living with civilians. A policeman wears uniform and is known by everyone, including criminal elements. So, they are endangered species.
“The military is respected and feared because their personnel live in the barracks but the police are being treated anyhow.
So, the IGP should work hard to bring back respect and our barracks to us. He should as a matter of urgency discuss the issue of our sold and proposed barracks marked for sale with the President.
“The government should be rebuilding our dilapidated barracks and building more barracks, instead of selling the existing ones. I can’t imagine how a constable can take care of his family with a salary that is less than N100,000. Sending us away and giving our barracks away to civilians is laughable and disgusting. There is no way an angry and hungry policeman will be loyal and efficient. How can a hopeless, homeless and dehumanised policeman protect life and property? The FG should stop selling our barracks. There is insecurity in Nigeria, the police need to live together to fight crime as a formidable force. We cannot live in the midst of criminals.”
