IG Seek Police, Public Collaboration On Security Threats

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed D. Abubakar, has called for stronger collaboration and partnership between the Nigerian police and members of the public to bring the current security challenges to an end.

Speaking on Thursday in a South East geo – political Zone Intelligence Sensitization and community partnership workshop held at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, the IGP declared that no police force in the world no matter how well equipped, trained, and remunerated can achieve its policing mandate without intelligence and community support.

He pointed out that the Nigeria police like others across the world cannot curtail the menace of crime without the cooperation of the members of the public, particularly at the grassroots.

The Police boss further said the workshop was designed to achieve enlightenment of citizens at the grassroots level, strategic political office holders, royal fathers, and other strategic security stakeholders of their obligations within the internal security structure of the country.

Others, he went on, are to engender the spirit of security consciousness among citizens at the community level, encourage community partnership and political support in the intelligence functions of the force while also identifying factors that might be militating against cordial police-community cooperation in relation to internal security management, educate the public and strategic security stakeholders on intelligence led policing and community driven policing practices being incorporated by “my administration” into policing activities in Nigeria.

The workshop who declared open by the Enugu State Governor Barrister Sullivan I. Chime who was  represented by the  commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Jude Akubuilo, assured the Inspector General of the readiness of Enugu state to partner with the police in crime prevention and detection.

In his speech, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Igwe Paulinus Nwagu, lauded the IG for organising the workshop throughout the six geo-political zones of the country.

According to him, geo-political  awareness refers to a growing global trend which now emphasizes community based intelligence and security networking with a view to ensuring proper data gathering for credible intelligence.

The Enugu State Commissioner of Police Abubakar Adamu Mohammed, thanked the Inspector-General for the initiative of partnering with the community in intelligence sensitisation.