Nigeria Police will soon grant salary enhancement to its personnel, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 8, Alhaji Tanko Lawal has said.

Lawal who was on an inspection and familiarisation tour of Kwara State Police Command, said this was part of the welfare packages for the police by the Inspector General of Police, IGP; Solomon Arase, to make Nigerian policemen comfortable enough to resist corrupt tendencies.

He commended the Kwara State Command for securing a parcel of land on which an estate of 500 housing units would be built for officers, particularly the retired ones at affordable prices. The scheme, he said, would be flagged up soon by the IGP.

The housing project, according to him, would be executed through mortgage financing, using the newly floated Police Construction Company, PCC, to do the job.

Speaking on the current operational policy of the police, Lawal, said the era of road blocks across the country is gone for ever and had been replaced with 'safer highway patrols' at the instance of the IGP.

He reiterated the standing position in law that bail of suspects at the police stations is free, stressing that no person could be detained beyond 24 hours.

"There is no excuse to detain anybody above 24 hours. Where investigation cannot be concluded, such suspects are charged to court. It is the court that can order further detention based on the type of charges against the suspect".

"Long detention by the police must be avoided. Ganishy orders should not be arbitrarily obtained anymore and police should also henceforth avoid unnecessary involvement in civil cases. Where such matters are brought to the police, he should make peace between them or at best advised them to go to court," he declared.

Welcoming the AIG to Kwara State Police Commissioner, Ezoza Amadasu, highlighted the success of the state command in combating cultism in higher institutions in the state as well as rising to the challenges of kidnapping with great zeal.