By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna.
The Nigeria Police Force is evolving new community based approach in it’s response to the rising cases of insecurity and criminality across the country.
The new onslaught is to partner eminent personalities in states of the federation to assist in checkmating the nefarious activities of undesirable elements in towns, cities and villages as part of a new strategy by the new leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.
Acting Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Idris Kpotun Ibrahim said the rise in criminality requires new and pragmatic response that are in tandem with modern methods of fight against crimes in line with international best practices.
“The Nigeria Police Force needs to evolve ways to tackle all forms of criminality head long across the country with the right approach and equipments and through collaborative efforts of eminent Nigerians” said the Police boss.
He said the Police Force was gearing itself towards the establishment of the new onslaught strategy in all the thirty six states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as a stopgap to arrest security challenges across the federation.
Acting IGP Kpotun gave this hint while inaugurating the Niger State Eminent People’s Forum, (EPF) in line with the new directives of the Force Headquarters to all the 36 states Commissioners of Police as well as for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 7, Mr. Alikali Baba Usman who stood in for the IGP, assured that the NPF would be guided by international core values of policing with integrity, and in compliance with the principles of rule of law and and international best practices.
He explained that involving eminent Nigerians in the fight against crime and other forms of social vices was the best way to check the rise in organized crime and social misbehaviours by criminals, miscreants and other society misfits.
He said the Police was poised to ensure good and effective partnership with stakeholders in crime prevention, crime control, maintenance of peace and security in communities across the country.
The Police boss opined that the new partnership would engender a more public trust and give confidence to the Police as it builds solid bridge between it and the general public.
He noted that though the present day Police inherited, lots of challenges coupled with wobbling financial inclemency in the face of daunting task of restoring civil order especially in the North East as well as other vicious crimes such as cattle rustling in the North Central, kidnapping, armed robbery, cases of assassinations in the South South and South East, economic sabotage (militancy) in the Niger Delta region, these nevertheless, the Police would discharge its role as expected.
Niger State Police Commissioner, Mr. Zubairu Mu’azu said the inauguration of the Eminent People’s Forum was in compliance with the IGP’s directives for the Police Commands to partner with eminent personalities in the communities to ensure security of lives and property of citizens.
He said getting some eminent Nigerians involved in community Policing will go a long way in enhancing safety of lives and properties as well as guarantee sustainable peace amongst the diverse ethnic nationalities across the country.
He disclosed that the state Command of the Nigeria Police has established a Joint Operation Centre at the state Police Headquarters. The task force is made up of all uniform security outfits whose aim is for working together in to achieve good results.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello represented by his Special Senior Adviser on Security, General Imam Ibrahim (Rtd) called on communities to assist in giving relevant information about activities of people with questionable character or strange assembly in their domain to the security agencies.
