ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has lamented the deteriorating security in the country even as he opined that crime is fast becoming an increasingly complex and huge industry.
He pointed out that the community are the producers of the products.
Mohammed stated these in his speech on Tuesday while inaugurating the Bauchi state Policing Advisory Committee at the Banquet Hall of the Government House.
He said: “The community policing all over is based on the concept that security officers and members of the community work together to create ways that can solve contemporary community problems related to crime, fear of crime, social and physical disorder and other antisocial activities peculiar to each community.
“Unfortunately, crime has become an increasingly complex and huge industry with the community being the producers of the products.
“This being so, the community is the best focal group to control what they produce. This is a key principle of community policing.”
The governor said that the state Policing Advisory Committee is a working group that is responsible for the implementation of a new policy by the federal government to provide internal security management strategy to compliment the efforts of the Nigerian Police in all components so as to allow communities some level of participation in their own policing.
He charged the committee to work towards achieving the community policing.
“It is therefore expected that the Committee will perform its functions to the best of its ability according to the law and in our collective well-being.
“You must always remember that where there is no trust in a community, the chances of success will be greatly be reduced and security will be jeopardized,”he stated.
He commended security agencies in the state for making the state habitable, and “a no-go area for Kidnappers and bandits” reiterating that, the primary objective of any responsible Government, is to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in a speech said the Nigeria Police under his leadership, has adopted community policing as the principle of projecting it as the internal security strategy for the country.
Adamu, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 12 Bauchi, AIG Sunusi Lemu, said in order to cope with the current and emerging threats to attain the internal security mandate, it is imperative for the police to seek the cooperation of the public with a view to maintaining their safety.
He said the adoption of the initiative will reduce the needed manpower in the Nigeria Police.
The IG said: “The Nigeria Police has produced handbook in furtherance to my desire to ensure that, all police personnel and indeed, the citizens, understand the basic content of community policing, appreciates their roles and adopt the strategy as we jointly confront the forces that are challenging our common values and threatening community peace and security.”
“It is my firm conviction that, this effort will be a catalyst that will in the long-run, accelerate the attainment of our dream for an efficient Police Force and a stable internal security order in Nigeria.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Commissioner of Police in Bauchi state, Lawan Jimeta, said the committee is expected to serve as a tool for solving security challenges in communities and to deepen trust between communities and the law enforcement agencies.
He outlined some of the roles of the committee to include assisting police in the identification, vetting and selection of community policing officers within their communities, help in identifying security threats in their communities and work with the local police in evolving appreciable approaches towards addressing them.
Others, he added, are to offer feedbacks on issues touching on police-community partnership with a view to aiding the sustenance of trust between the police and the community and to advise on general security issues as it affect their communities.
Jimeta explained that the community advisory committee is to report to the state governor on matters concerning operations of community policing committees while the community policing committee is to foster security awareness and monitor progress on community policing.
The Chairman of the Committee, Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Adamu, in a vote of thanks, pledged the readiness of members of the committee to discharge the assignment diligently and to the best of their ability.
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