Nigerian Police spend $3m to import, maintain dogs

The Nigeria Police Force has spent over $3m which is N600m to procure and maintain foreign dogs in the past few years to enhance security, the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has said.
Arase stated that the police had failed to tap into the immeasurable anti-crime opportunities which abound in the Force Animal Branch.

Speaking while inaugurating a dog breeding centre and an ultra-modern mounted troop stable on Thursday in Abuja, the IG said the facilities were established as part of strategies to enhance the capacity of security operatives to tackle crime and insecurity in the country.
According to him, “My experience as the IG points to the fact that the immeasurable anti-crime opportunities which abound in the Force Animal Branch have remained under-utilised, while the Force continued to rely on importation of dogs and other animals to advance the attainment of its mandate.
“In fact, records show that the Nigeria Police Force has spent over N600m in the last few years just on the procurement and maintenance of these foreign dogs. This is certainly not sustainable, especially in the face of current dwindling resources.”
The police chief said with the initiative, the Force would soon take its pride of place among countries with “professional K-9 ability,” adding that the dog facility was fashioned after the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, reputed to be the global leader in dog breeding.