By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to provide adequate security to lives and property of the citizenry and restore permanent peace in the state.
He also commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba for his intuitive and determination in the provision of security and establishing community policing.
Zulum stated this on Wednesday during a 2 day workshop organized for community policing stakeholders in the North east zone of Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe, Borno and Yobe states of the north east geo-political zones.
He said community policing is significant and his government will continue to support its strategic policy and operation, while making reference to the complementarity efforts and sacrifices of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and vigilante hunters groups that have been complementing the efforts of the military in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
Governor Zulum, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Jidda Shuwa, urged the police to rise up against the growing incidences of electoral violence and crimes which are associated with elections and electioneering campaign.
He explained that through community policing, stakeholders would have a vital role to play in terms of intelligence and coordination of community activities.
He said the state government as parts of its efforts to tackle unemployment has provided soft loan facility to the the people and established various skill acquisition centers for numerous programmes as well as supported women and youths in many ways to alleviate their sufferings and make them self reliant.
In his remarks, The Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali Baa, explained that the reason behind the establishment of community policing and recruitment of stakeholders was to contribute their quota as community police vanguards of community policing in their respective communities.
IGP Akali Baba, however, said the community policing officers should not consider themselves as regular police personnel but volunteers.
He said,’ Community Policing Officers (CPOS) are not regular police operatives. They are recruited under the Supernumerary Police provisions of the Nigeria Police Act and are expected to voluntarily serve their local communities by complementing the Nigeria Police in guaranteeing community safety.”
Represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Logistics and Supply, DIG Mohammed Zanna Ibrahim, the IGP said: “The strategic community policing stakeholders will operate under the guidance of the local Police Divisions in their communities in compliance with the rules and regulations fusing their operations”.
This he said informed the workshop which was organized in order for them to have knowledge of their responsibilities in the society.
He explained further that the clarification became necessary following recent recorded cases or incidences where Community Policing Officers misconstrued their status, limitations, authorities and functions in the discharge if their responsibilities to the extent of engaging in misconduct which he said was embarrassing to the NPF and Federal Government.
The IGP also said the workshop was organized to strengthen the capacity of the strategic community policing stakeholders towards ensuring the effectiveness of community policing across the six geo-political zones of the country, enhancing the stakeholders’ knowledge and boosting intelligence among the citizenry I’m order to tackle crimes.
He charged them to be attentive and utilize the knowledge derived from workshop as a guiding principles and techniques for the strategic community policing stakeholders.
IGP noted that since the commencement of the first phase implementation of the Community Policing Project in Nigeria, lots of grounds have been covered to include the recruitment, training, kitting, and deployment of Community Policing Officers (CPOs) across the country as well as the basic training of strategic actors and stakeholders in the community policing implementation process.
On his part, The Shehu of Borno, HRH, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, said the inclusion of the traditional institution in the community policing process underscored the commitment and significance the NPF has given to the traditional council.
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Represented by the Zanna Borguma of Borno, Alhaji Mohammed Habib, the Shehu urged the police authority to develop a comprehensive and intelligence gathering policy to help the police track down criminals in the society.
He also suggested for an effective collaboration and synergy between the traditional council and Nigerian Police particularly, on information sharing in the society for the purpose of confidentiality and safety of the informants while making reference to the past traditional council members that were attacked and killed as a result of giving out information about the activities and where about of the Boko Haram terrorists in their communities.
The Borno State Commissioner of Police, CP Abdu Umar in his welcome address thanked the IGP for organizing such a workshop and appreciated the DIG, resource persons, organizers and participants as well as the media for participating in the workshop.
