Ex-Lagos Police Commissioner Slams Nigerian Leaders Over N30,000 Funding For Police Divisions, Officers Sleeping In Exhibit Vans

A former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has decried the dire state of funding and welfare in the Nigeria Police Force.

He lamented that police divisions operate on as little as N30,000 monthly while officers endure deplorable living conditions, including sleeping inside exhibit vehicles at police stations.

In an interview with News Central TV’s Breakfast Central programme, Owoseni, who was visibly angry, criticised what he described as the appalling neglect of police welfare by the Nigerian leaders who, despite the realities, dare to “shamelessly” demean officers.

“You have a Divisional Police Officer like in Ikeja Police Division that has an area of responsibility so large, and what you use to fund that police division is N30,000, to do what?” Owoseni asked.

He painted a grim picture of the daily struggles of rank-and-file officers.

“When you have a police system where an average constable has to stretch to feed, to buy his uniform,” he said. 

“Where you have a policeman posted from Jigawa to Ikorodu in Lagos and there is no accommodation for him or anything, that sleeps inside exhibit vehicles in the police station.”

Owoseni condemned the hypocrisy of political leaders who criticise the physical appearance of officers without addressing the root causes. 

“The people that rule us, that have the power, will come out shamelessly to say that policemen stink.

“How will that policeman not stink when he sleeps inside an exhibit vehicle [and wakes up] every morning. 

“He looks for pure water [sachet water] because he has no family in Ikorodu, and he is transferred from Jigawa. So, where do you go from there?” he asked.

Owoseni also weighed in on the debate around state police, insisting that the conversation must go beyond control and delve into logistics and welfare. 

He said, “Even when we talk of state police, it is not about who controls the police; it is the tools. When you see the police in America or in the UK, you see them looking big, looking well-fed. It is the tools that they provide. 

“These are the things that we must solve. It is not just about condemning the gap and the failure of security personnel. 

Good Morning!

Regarding the Nigeria Police Force pension struggle, it has been noted that Illegal IGP Egbetokun and his team are spreading propaganda to scare police people from organizing and joining, do not fall for it. #policepensionprotest

Attached video below is what… pic.twitter.com/sNaRZeFXYX

— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) June 29, 2025

“You must take care of them; you must provide the enabling environment and the tools for them to operate.”

The Nigerian police system has long been plagued by reports of underfunding, poor infrastructure, and inadequate welfare for officers. 

A 2023 report by the CLEEN Foundation noted that most police divisions across Nigeria lack basic operational tools, including vehicles, communications equipment, and even stationery. 

Officers often rely on community donations or personal funds to carry out basic duties.

Furthermore, the plight of retired officers has also sparked national concern. 

Many pensioners of the Nigeria Police complain of unpaid entitlements and pension arrears running into years. 

Currently, retired police officers are planning a nationwide protest in Abuja and other cities, decrying their abandonment by the Nigerian government after decades of service.

Despite these challenges, Nigeria's federal budget continues to allocate relatively small sums to internal security, with most funds going to recurrent expenditure and little to capital development or welfare schemes.

Owoseni’s remarks added to growing calls for a comprehensive reform of the Nigeria Police Force, one that addresses not just training and restructuring but also welfare, logistics, and post-service dignity.

Reacting to Owoseni’s remarks, human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, revealed that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and his team are spreading propaganda to scare police officers from organising and joining the planned protest. 

Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the Africa Action Congress (AAC), in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, encouraged the officers never to give in to the IGP’s plans.

“Regarding the Nigeria Police Force pension struggle, it has been noted that Illegal IGP Egbetokun and his team are spreading propaganda to scare police people from organising and joining, do not fall for it,” Sowore wrote.

Attached with Owoseni’s video, Sowore added, “You can’t run a police force without equipment, tools, motivation, incentives and proper remuneration and expect miracles.”