…Urges State Governors to Wake Up to their responsibilities

…Says all hands must be on deck, Not leaving everything to security agencies alone

…As Senate Vows to support the Police through legislative interventions

By Henry Umoru

THE Inspector- General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, Wednesday appeared before  the Senate where he unfolded to the Lawmakers, the myriad of security problems presenting confronting the country.

The Inspector- General of Police who was summoned by the Senate to appear before it at plenary, spoke on the security challenges, architecture, methods employed so far and the way forward towards addressing the problems.

Adamu who held a closed door session with the Senators for five hours from 11am to 2.55 pm yesterday, according to sources Harped on Issues of Community Policing, the declining rate of Moral among the rank and file of the Police force as well as the issue of welfare, with very poor working environment and accommodation.

According to a source, the Inspector  General of Police was blunt as he did not hide the problems confronting the country in the area of Security, ranging from armed banditry to kidnapping, rape, killings, among others.

A source also told Vanguard that during the meeting, the issue of coordination and sharing of information among the Security Agencies is also very paramount which must be taken very seriously if the problem must be solved.

A source said, ” The Inspector- General of Police pleaded with the Senate to assist the Nigeria Police, he stressed the need for them to be encouraged in all its ramifications. The Police Boss told us some of the challenges the force is facing which include lack of sufficient man power, the need to improve on the welfare of his men. He also threw his weight behind the establishment of Community Policing in the country, saying that if it comes on board, it would reduce massively, the level of crime and insecurity in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Inspector  General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has thrown his weight behind the establishment of Community Policing in the country, stressing that if put in place, it will help nip in the bud, the insecurity challenges in Nigeria.

Adamu who spoke with Journalists after the meeting with the Senators, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck and that addressing security problems should be a collective effort and not to be left  to security agencies alone.

The Inspector- General of Police at the meeting also challenged state governors and Chairmen of the 774 Local Governments in the country to Wake Up to their responsibilities in the fight against armed banditry and other security challenges in their states and local governments.

Adamu said, “I appeared before the Senate and briefed them on the concept of community policing. If you can remember, last year we sensitised the country on the need to  adapt community policing in the country and the concept is to give policing back to the community, let the community take the initiative in identifying the problems that are there that can lead to the commission of crime and the we work with the community to solve the crime.

” We believe that everybody comes from a community and the community is a community you know who and who is there.

“Taking policing back to the community will help in reducing crime to the barest minimum. So I have explained the concept of community policing to the Senate which involves  partnership with communities and there are various communities. You can have traditional institutions as a community.

“You can have the National Union of Road Transport Workers as a community. You can have the media as a community and various communities that you can have partnership with. If you are talking about partnership we are talking about problem solving.

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“We need to solve problems that evolve in the community. What we mean here is that we scan the community to find out what are the indices that can lead to the commission of crime or a crime that has been committed already.

“We analyze the problems and then we look for solutions and the responses that are available then we deploy resources to deal with the problems and then subsequently we re-evaluate all our responses  to see how we can adjust to solve the problem.  And in doing this,  we need to capacitate our officers so as to key into the process. This is essentially what I explained to the Senate.

“Security  issues are fluid or dynamic. At a stage where you have a rise in crimes we re-strategize and deal with them and everywhere will be stabilized. And for a period of time you will see stability in crime situation. But at an stage you will see the criminals re-strategizing and coming out to commit crime.

“What we are saying especially with the concept of Community policing is that fighting crime should not left to law enforcement agencies alone. It should not be left to security personnel alone. Everybody should be involved.

“What are the things that lead to the commission of crime? Are all issues to be dealt with by security agencies alone? No. There are other arms of government that need  to deal with State Governors, Local Government Chairmen should take up their responsibilities.

“People that are committing these crime there are reasons that make them to commit these crimes. If it is lack of employment, if it is lack of education or those issues that will require intervention by the government, the state Governor should take responsibility. Local government chairmen should take responsibility. Not that everything will be left to security agencies alone.”

Speaking after  the meeting, President of the Senate; Senator Ahmad Lawan vowed that the Senate would support the Police through legislative interventions.

Lawan said, “The IG answered questions  bordering on National security challenges, banditry, ssaults  on  our major roads across the countr, illegal circulation of  fire arms and  efforts in  encouraging synergy between the Federal and State governments from distinguished Senators.

“The Senate thereafter  resolved to support the Nigerian Police through legislative interventions. The police force must find a way to be more  operationally and   proactive to protect  the lives  and property of the citizens.

Vanguard