IG warns, Police Officers’ Mess, Onikan, not for sale

The Nigerian Police Force has warned that the Police Officers Mess at Onikan, Lagos, is not for sale but undergoing remodelling and reconstruction for the benefit of Police personnel. The Police authorities refuted a media publication that the Officers Mess is being put up for sale.

The Nigerian Police Force in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Frank Mba, on Monday, acknowledged  a publication in some sections of the media dated 17th January, 2021 alleging plots by the Inspector-General of Police to sell-off the Nigeria Police Officers’ Mess located at Onikan, Lagos. “The story is totally false!” the police declared.

Mba highlighted that the Nigeria Police Officers’ Mess, Onikan, conceived decades ago, was built to cater for the welfare of Police Officers, provide transit accommodation for Officers on transfer or on special assignments and provide a conducive social environment suitable for their relaxation. He noted that over time, however, the property has degenerated and shown structural defects requiring a massive renovation or outright rebuilding.

According to CP Mba, “in a bid to restore its lost glory, provide a modern and befitting Officers’ Mess and tackle the defects of the old structure, the Police Management Team took a decision to upgrade the existing Officers’ Mess to a world-class edifice.

“Upon completion, the project which is wholly owned and financed by the Police would provide one of the most aesthetically satisfying facilities on the Onikan waterfront and serve to improve social interaction between members of the Police Force and the general public.”

Mba declared: “it would have been unnecessary to respond to the deliberate misinformation, falsehood and outright mischief by the authors of the publications, but this response is necessitated by the need to set the records straight and halt the intended damage to a well-thought-out project and another orchestrated plan to wrongfully attack the office of the Inspector-General of Police.”

The Force Public Relations Officers maintained that the IGP, therefore, enjoined well-meaning Nigerians to disregard the misinformation while members of the press should beware of rumour-mongering and the activities of those who aim to disparage and discredit well-thought-out projects.

There have been reports of plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled federal government to sell national assets as alternative means of revenue generation. This may have been linked to the controversial report on the Police property in Lagos.