The Kwara State Police Command has described inadequate manpower as the major challenge confronting it. Our correspondent reports that the command has 4, 072 officers, translating into one police officer to 736 people.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Agboola Oshodi-Glover, speaking during a visit of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Christopher Dega, Zone 8, comprising Kogi, Ekiti and Kwara States, said many police outposts have been closed down owing to shortage of manpower.

The AIG, who met with officers and men in various area commands in the state as well as key stakeholders in Ilorin, also addressed members of the community to seek their views and perception about improving security situation in the state.

The commissioner in his welcome address said though, crime situation in Kwara State is relatively low, the recent population explosion in the state called for more efforts to contain crime.

 "Kwara as a fast developing state requires responsive police administration," he said.

Oshodi-Glover said the state lacked efficient communication network, adding that the command's communication system "has been in comatose for four months".

He requested for four Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to be provided in the state to assist the command in combating crime.

Also speaking, National president of Ilorin Emirate Descendants' Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji AbdulHameed Adi, urged the police authorities to increase men and officers in the state.

In his remarks, the AIG said the problem of manpower shortage is not peculiar to the zone and Kwara, adding that it is only the Federal Government that has the capacity to recruit into the Nigeria police.

AIG Dega charged leaders and elders in the state to propagate the message of peace in their domains just as he admonished politicians to eschew violence, avoid making inflammatory or derogatory remarks and see politics as a game and not a do-or-die affair.