THE Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed D. Abubakar, has admitted that the Nigerian police can only tackle the current wave of insecurity in the country with the cooperation and supports of law-abiding citizens.
He, however, said that the force has began to elaborate on its strategies and methodologies with a view to checkmating the increase in criminal activities.
The Inspector General stated this in Minna, Saturday, during an interactive session with newsmen shortly after declaring open the one-day geo-political security awareness workshop for the North Central zone, which comprise Benue, Kogi, Nassarawa, Niger, Plateau and Kwara States.
The theme of the interactive session was 'Enhancing National Security Through Intelligence at Community Partnership in the North Central Geo-political Zone of Nigeria.
According to the IGP, who was represented at the occasion by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Training, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, said, "the Police must partner with members of the public, especially the communities to ensure that lives and property of Nigerians are safe. We also want to create an elaborate awareness for every Nigerian to know his civic responsibility."
Abubakar, who admitted that the continued insecurity in the country is a great challenge to the nation after 50 years of independent, however, disagreed with the notion that the security challenge was a declaration of war against members the Nigeria Police in the recent time, adding that there is a clear difference between declaration of war and increase in security challenge across the country.
"My expectations are very great because we have all come to realise that it is the responsibility of every Nigerian to ensure effective and efficient policing mechanism.
And the recent unfortunate situation in Nasarawa State against some members of the force did not mean that we are handicapped intelligence-wise, but for every law-abiding citizens to wake up to their civic responsibilities and ensure that they collaborate on a more elaborate level with the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force," he said.
Meanwhile the convener of the workshop, who doubles as the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence, Mr. Solomon Arase, said there is a dire need for the Nigeria Police to reconnect with the members of the public to effectively tackle the security challenges in the country.
He stressed that the workshop was put together as a way of rebuilding confidence in the Police, adding that in the past one year the Intelligence Department has been trying to reorganise the department by building Intelligence School in Enugu and also plans to build another at Sare in Ilorin Kwara State.
Earlier the Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, in a keynote address at the workshop attributed threats of insecurity in country to inadequacy of personnel to effectively and efficiently meet Nigeria's internal and external security challenges.
According to Aliyu, "the deterrent capacity of the police for instance is hindered by the limited number of policemen usually deployed to cover guard duties and private security services for the rich and affluent, which are more of status symbols."
Security challenges is dimensional and varies from; country, region or nation. The Governor stressed that security challenges in the Southern part of the country vary from what is in the North, Western and Eastern part of the country.
Nigeria's security challenges the Governor also hinted is peculiar in the sense that, most people that enrolled into security formations of the country, particularly the police are incapable of performing professional responsibilities in a dignified manner, because they joined the force out of want to survive.
According to the Governor, "one of the fundamental problems is the recruitment into the security services, especially the police. Whereas in more advanced societies, entry into the security services and some professions is by self selection."
A number of factors militate against members of security forces in Nigeria from performing optimally, saying, instead of joining security forces out of personal interest and passion for the job, some people join the police to earn meal tickets, which is the reason we have people of questionable character in the security forces."
Apart from the inappropriate deployment of some security men, particularly policemen, Governor Aliyu expressed worry that, the politicization of the police is a major hindrance in effective policing of law-abiding citizens.
The Guardian
Public support is very important when it comes to police works in our called Nigeria.