IGP Disu Tours 21 Lagos Police Housing Projects as Barracks Rebuild Advances
Written on
Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has inspected about 21 police housing projects across Lagos, as the force pushes to rebuild dilapidated barracks and return displaced officers to decent accommodation.
Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has undertaken an inspection tour of about 21 police housing projects at various stages of development across Lagos, in a push to accelerate the reconstruction of dilapidated barracks and improve accommodation for officers and their families.
The tour allowed the police leadership to engage contractors and other stakeholders and assess the reasons behind delays, with the IGP expressing dissatisfaction at the pace of work at some sites. Disu said some of the ongoing projects could become habitable by December or January, depending on how quickly construction proceeds.
The redevelopment programme stems from a directive dated May 15, 2024, covering the first phase of affected Lagos barracks: Falomo; Police Mounted Troops/Ribadu, Ikoyi; Alausa Police Barracks; Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja; Federal Highway Patrol Barracks, Yaba; and Iponri Police Barracks, Surulere. The Nigeria Police Force Property Development and Construction Company was directed to carry out the reconstruction.
The directive provided for compensation to verified occupants before demolition and required those who had received approved payments to vacate the affected premises. The compensation process, however, generated complaints, with some personnel alleging they received less than the approved sums — reportedly N2 million in some cases — and one officer claiming to have been shortchanged by as much as N1 million.
The problem extends beyond Lagos. Police personnel in cities including Onitsha, Maiduguri, Ibadan, Calabar, Lokoja and Umuahia also face accommodation challenges, with many barracks dating back to the colonial era or the early years after independence. Disu has also spoken of making better use of the police mortgage scheme and working with partners to develop affordable housing, particularly for rank-and-file personnel.
Ultimately, officials said the significance of the exercise will be measured by whether contractors meet deadlines, whether funds are transparently applied and whether displaced officers return to decent accommodation.