Abuja-The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has commenced building the capacity of the Air Provost to effectively employ scientific approaches in all facets of its critical competencies.
This it said, became necessary as the dynamics of crime and contemporary security threats have challenged the capacity of the Air Provost to deliver with efficacy on its mandate as a custodian of security, and law enforcement in the Nigerian Air Force.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar who disclosed these on Monday at the 2018 Air Provost Conference in Abuja, stated that developing the capacity and capability of the Air Provost is premised on the need to have a proactive police force, that would nip threats in the bud, and provide the enabling environment for NAF personnel to freely discharge their duties.
He stressed the need for the Provost to acquire both indigenous and foreign expertise and experiences that would keep it abreast with the latest trends and developments in crime fighting and security.
The acquisition of these capacities according to the Chief, would be crucial to the Provost’s relevance and resilience in a dynamic environment.
He disclosed that, 16 Air Provost personnel comprising officers and men have commenced a core investigative skills and investigative interviewing course scheduled to end in 2 weeks, adding that another set of 16 personnel are set to begin the Crime Scene Investigation course by September this year.
According to him, “These courses, which are conducted in conjunction with credible foreign partners from the United Kingdom, are intended to reinforce the culture and efficacy of scientific approaches to policing in the Nigerian Air Force.
“It is envisaged that with more emphasis on the use of scientific aids to policing, the Air Provost would be better poised to speedily and effectively discharge its law enforcement and security duties with a higher degree of accuracy”.
He announced that the Provost Investigation Center has been upgraded into a Group status, adding that the expansion, remodeling and reactivation of the Provost Investigation Group’s Crime Laboratory which has been disused for over 30 years is ongoing.
“Nigerian Air Force is also at an advanced stage in expanding and enhancing its utilization of Military Working Dogs to boost the physical security of NAF bases especially critical mission essential areas. This growth is equally projected to create the capacity for the Air Provost to be integrated in the conduct of Combat Search and Rescue operations in the Service.
“In another development, the rejuvenation of the Air Provost’s Explosive Ordnance Detection capability is expected to commence before the start of the fourth quarter of 2018. The import of this added capacity is to, in addition to consolidating the utility of Military Working Dogs, provide the capability to conduct force protection operations in bear bases” the CAS said.
He urged the Air Provost to be innovative and pursue modern advances in policing including ideology, models and concepts, in order to be effective, be flexible enough to interface and work alongside other NAF specialties and sister security agencies to create a synergistic approach towards law enforcement and security, and be objective and fair in its dealings.
In his vote of thanks, the Air Provost Marshal, Air commodore Ahmed Bakari, said that the Directorate of Air provost has received a face lift due to the effort of the the CAS.
He remarked that the Air Provost will be alive to its responsibility and will efficiently and effectively utilize the capacity available to enhance discipline in the NAF.
The conference which had the theme, Scientific Approach to Crime Prevention: A Prerequisite for Contemporary Air Police Operations”, was organized by the NAF Directorate of Air Police and was aimed at creating an essential platform to deliberate on crime and security concerns specific to the Nigerian Air Force, as well as share experiences that would inspire provost personnel to better anticipate and prepare for future challenges.
