Police, other security officers to undergo mandatory drug, psychiatric tests

Any person joining the police and other security agencies in Nigeria will undergo compulsory psychiatric and drug tests, the Federal Government has said.

It also said those serving in the armed forces and the allied agencies would go through such tests periodically.

Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, who announced this in Abuja on Wednesday, said it was part of measures taken by the government in the aftermath of last year’s #EndSARS protests.

October 20 was the first anniversary of the protests by some youths against brutality by policemen especially men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protest snowballed into violence which led to the destruction of various government and private properties runing into over a trillion naira.

The minister, who itemized other remedial measures by the government in response to the call by the youths, said the Federal Government’s nine-reform plans for police and other security agencies.

He said “of 28 states that set up panels of inquiring on the #EndSARS protests have limited their reports to the National Executive Council (NEC).

Mohammed said the reforms were aimed at enhancing the efficiency of security agency.

He said, “NEC called on the leadership of the security agencies to ensure that persons recruited into arms-bearing security agencies undergo psychiatric evaluations and drug tests before enlistment and periodically after enlistment to ensure that the personal are psychologically, fit to carry live weapons and to identify behavioural tendencies that may require psycho-social interventions.

Other reforms arePersons recruited into arms-bearing security agencies undergo psychiatric evaluations and drug tests before enlistment and periodically after enlistment to ensure that the personnel are psychologically fit to carry live weapons and to identify behavioural tendencies that may require psycho-social interventions.

“Personnel of the agencies dutifully observe Rules of Engagement in the discharge of their functions/duties around and within the civilian populace.

“While acknowledging the various initiative introduced by the Federal Government to strengthen police accountability through the Police Service Commission, sustain improved funding and budgetary allocation to the Nigeria Police Force and other securities agencies, and the lifting of the ban on recruitment of police officers, Council urged the Federal Government to give priority to the general welfare of police officers and personnel of other security agencies. In particular, it advocated the review of pension and gratuity of retired police officers and attainment of parity of remuneration by police officers with sister security agencies.”