By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
North East Development Commission (NEDC) in collaboration with Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi on Monday, organized a 3-day training workshop from Monday, 26 to Wednesday December 28, 2022 at Dujima International Hotel Maiduguri for registered private security agents and personnel of volunteer security groups in combating insecurity in the North East of Nigeria.
The North East Training Programme Coordinator, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman Awwal in his welcome address, said the training was organized for the targeted informal security agents and volunteer security personnel groups involved in combating all types of crime in the society, towards providing adequate peace for meaningful development in the zone.
He added that the training Programme is aimed at exposing the informal security personnel to the nitty gritty of security and crime prevalence with a view to creating awareness and imparting knowledge on the participants to be more vigilant, committed and effective in complementing the efforts and sacrifices of the formal security agents at the local and state levels and region at large.
According to him, the programme is being held in all the six states of the North East, namely, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi and Borno states.
He also assured that the technical team is fully prepared and equipped with resource persons that have been delivering on crime and security, having trained similar organizations or groups in the past.
The Training Programme Coordinator explained further that the training workshop’s theme is, “The role of informal security operatives in combating insecurity in the North East of Nigeria”, while papers by resource persons on terrorism, insurgency,, international relations and diplomacy, citizenship, migration, mass media and national security among others would be presented.
Other papers include, religious misconceptions, criminal litigation, crime, drug abuse, justice system, counter terrorism measures and other issues towards combating insecurity in the North Eastern Nigeria.
The rest of the paper presentations include how to solve or address security challenges through intelligence gathering and sharing, protection and assistance of victims of insurgency and policy implications and strategies on security.
North East Development Commission (NEDC), Borno State Coordinator of the Training Programme, Engr Mohammed Uma in his remarks, urged all the participants to count themselves lucky and appreciate the efforts of NEDC to blend them the technicalities of security challenges, terrorism, insurgency and other crime in the society with a view to grooming them to become more professional and effective in the provision of security and respective discharge of their responsibilities to the society towards restoration of peace in the North East,
Engr. Mohammed further charged them to be attentive, dedicated and committed to the training programme by embracing the training as a great opportunity to learn much about security, insecurity, challenges, implications, contemporary issues on terrorism and insurgency, crime and homicide, among others, as well as the guiding rules and regulations of their respective informal security operations.
He also charged them to comply with the principles and techniques of private security agents and personnel volunteer groups in the North East Zone, while stressing that the theme of the training workshop is apt and in line with the prevailing security challenges in the North East.
The coordinator pointed out to stakeholders that it is important they know their role in the society as informal security operatives in combating insecurity in the North East of Nigeria can never be over emphasized.
Few participants that spoke to our correspondent in Maiduguri, said the training is an eye opener and they have the high expectations that they would be exposed and it will create a kind of knowledge and awareness on security issues and operations, which will go a long way in assisting and guiding their operations.
