By Chinedu Adonu

ENUGU – FEDERAL government of Nigeria on Thursday says it’s focusing on community-oriented policing to get all stakeholders involved in stamping-out insecurity and criminality in the country.

File: Police Officers on duty

The Inspector General of Police, IG, Mohammed Adamu, made this known in Enugu, while officially flagging-off the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices, POCACOV, to be a nationwide campaign.

The IG, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of

Police in-charge of zone 9, Mr Baba Tijini, disclosed that adoption of POCACOV by the Nigeria Police as a national programme was in-line with Federal Government’s Community Policing Aganda.

He pointed out that police would synergies and sensitize the members of the public to join in the fight against crime and criminality at the community level.

“I want all Nigerians to key-in into this programme for the overall reduction in crime in all communities in the country. We want to engage and work together with local citizens to easily identify security threats and proffer local solutions to them.

“To this end, the Federal Government wants to strengthen community police efforts of the Nigeria Police by the recruitment of 40,000 Community Police Constables. Each of the 774 council areas in the country will have a minimum of 50 constables to strengthen security at the local levels. It will also involve engaging community-based organisations, groups and institutions to see that it work for the better of all,’’ he said.

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Earlier, Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Maikobi, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, who spoke on behalf of service chiefs in the state, assured the I-G of continuous support of the security agencies to the campaign.

Maikobi, who was represented by the 82 Division Garrison Commander, Brig.-Gen. Sylvester Oloyede, said that the existing synergy among the security agencies in Enugu State and other parts of the country had continued to yield positive results.

“The I-G should be rest assured that he would get our unwavering support towards this campaign to ensure that it succeeds,’’ he assured.

In a welcome address, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, lauded the I-G for choosing Enugu for the launch of the campaign meant to reform life-style of erring youths and up-coming future leaders.

Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the state Head of Service, Mr Chidi Ezema, extoled the qualities of I-G Adamu even when he was the commissioner of police in the state.

He said, “It was during your time as commissioner of police here that POCACOV was initiated by you and the state was ranked as the most peaceful state in the country.

“The state government will continue to support that activities of the Nigeria Police to ensure that the state remain safe and secure; while protecting the future of our children. I must commend the efforts of the police and other security agencies for stemming insecurity in the state especially the recent rescue of one of our permanent secretaries unhurt from hands of abductors,’’ the governor said.

The chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Lawrance Agubuzu, commended IG for taking the fight against cultism and crime to the community level and involving everyone as well.

According to Agubuzu, POCACOV is a bottom-up approach meant to tackle the root cause of most crimes which is cultism at the community-level and also galvanizing support for a crime-free community by engaging stakeholders.

“We also have to look inwards and ensure that those that supply or sell hard drugs to children at the community are apprehended,’’ he noted.

In a message, Team Lead, Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP), Mrs Kemi Okenyodo, said that the launch of POCACOV was an illustration of the commitment on the part of Nigeria Police to adopt community policing as a policing strategy in the country.

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“The joint identification of societal problems and cross sectorial consultation in a bid to allow the development of local solutions to local problems that have been identified by the society is a key message from the police to all stakeholders present in here today,’’ Okenyodo said.

Highlights of the event were the inauguration of the POCACOV ambassadors, who are celebrities from Enugu State, as well as inauguration of POCACOV NYSC Community Development Service ,CDS, group.

Vanguard