By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
The Nigerian Police Force, NPF, has solicited for the participation of stakeholders in community policing to protect life and property in the North-East.
This came to the fore during a two-day workshop organised across the six geopolitical zones in the country, while the 300 stakeholders from the North-East region are from Borno, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba and Yobe states.
Declaring the workshop open, yesterday on Wednesday, at the International Conference Centre, Maiduguri, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali disclosed, “This workshop is designed to deepen the implementation of the community policing, approved by the Federal Government in 2020.”
He said that the adaptation of community policing was an internal security strategy to protect life and property in the nation.
Alkali, represented by Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Zannah Ibrahim, said, “Community policing is the way to go in addressing the complex and challenging dynamics of crimes.”
He said the implementation of community policing is to mitigate the challenges associated with emerging internal security realities,” noting that the policing strategies are gradually taking root with people’s acceptance.
Besides, he added that community policing is well-founded principle of partnership between the police and the citizens.
The people in communities, he noted, are to serve in identifying security threats to build trust and synergy in solving them.
He said, “Policing has been brought to the door steps of communities in improving the quality of life ”
He stated further that community policing also strengthens the bond between police institution and the citizens by confronting the common enemies.
Warning that the enemies are existing and living in various communities to alter the values for security and peace, the IGP further reiterated that community policing has enhanced the capacity of the police to generate and utilize actionable human intelligence in stabilizing internal security.
On the empowerment of stakeholders to implement community policing, he said, “We’ll continue to empower you to refresh and broaden your knowledge with joint evaluation on crime prevention in communities.
“You are recruited under the Supernumerary Police provisions of the Nigeria Police Act. You are voluntarily to serve your communities by complementing the police in the safety of life and property.”
In his remarks, the governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Usman Jidda Shuwa, said that community policing is an effective way to tackle insecurity to both life and property in the region.
Governor Zulum added that it could also reduce the incessant perpetration of criminal activities in most of the communities.
He, therefore, urged the police and other security agencies to be proactive, so as to ensure a hitch-free and credible 2023 general elections.
