One hundred and thirty six members of the Nigeria Formed Police Unit (FPU) participated in a medal parade Tuesday, to mark the end of their one year duty term in Somalia.
The officers were awarded medals at a ceremony presided over by the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) in Somalia Hon. Lydia Wanyoto and Anand Pillay, Police Commissioner of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Somali Police Commissioner Gen Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud was also present, with a delegation of Somali officials.
In her remarks, Hon. Wanyoto thanked the Nigerian government for supporting the peace process in Somalia by deploying members of its police force to the Somalia mission. She also thanked Somali Security Forces present at the ceremony for recognizing the Nigerian contribution.
““We are here because of Somalia..saying it yourself on behalf of the Somali government, makes our work easy, it gives us morale and makes us to work even harder,” Wanyoto said.
“I want to thank you for the services you have provided. Thank you for being here in Somalia, for volunteering to assist the people in Somalia,” AMISOM Police Commissioner Anand Pillay said.
The Somali Police Commissioner Gen. Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud in turn thanked the Nigerian police contingent for their contribution to the restoration of law and order in Somalia.
“You have been good ambassadors. Somalia will not forget Nigeria standing side-by-side with Somali people and the federal government”, Gen Hamud said.
The outgoing police contingent is the fifth Formed Police Unit from Nigeria to serve in Somalia under AMISOM. During their term, the outgoing police officers had been assigned to various duties including securing Somalia’s ongoing electoral process.
They will be replaced by a new police contingent from Nigeria.
AMISOM
