Community policing: IG advocates sustained public collaboration

The Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, has called for sustained collaboration from the various communities across the country in the ongoing security and peace building efforts.

This, the IGP said, is urgently desirable to positively tackle the insecurity challenges in the nation.

Egbetokun, represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5 Benin, AIG Arungwa Nwaziue Udo, made the call in Ogbona, in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State on Saturday, during the official commissioning and handing over ceremony of a fully equipped ultra-modern Ogbona Divisional Police headquarters and a state-of-the-art ICT security Command and Control Centre, built and equipped by the Ogbona Youth Forum in collaboration with a frontline indigene of Ogbona community, Mr. Peter Omoh Dunia, a.k.a. Peter Black.

A police patrol vehicle and four motorcycles were also presented to the Nigeria Police by the Ogbona community at the occasion.

Describing the Ogbona event as “epoch-making,” the IGP noted that the police is currently sustaining its service delivery just as he reiterated “the imperative of community collaboration to guarantee peaceful coexistence of our nationals.”

He spoke further, “We are living in a modern world and high-tech policing is inevitable these days. This plays pivotal role in tracking and monitoring people who have criminal intentions. We (Police) cannot be everywhere at the same time hence we need public-sustained support. Policing is everybody’s business and communal efforts in this regard will not go in vain.”

In his address at the event, Mr. Dunia, the Executive Director of Inter-Atlas Synergy Limited, a Niger Delta-based oil and gas industrial security and project management company, urged the Nigeria Police to embrace information and Communications Technology in their security surveillance and other anti-crime operations to meet the challenges of modern-day community policing.

Dunia emphasized the imperative of Public Private Partnership to ensure the success of the ongoing campaign against insecurity in the country, and to effectively combat crimes and criminalities at the local level.

He said, “The decision to embark on this project was borne out of a deep conviction: the belief that security is the bedrock of development.

“Without peace and safety, no society can thrive, businesses cannot flourish and families cannot prosper. For too long, our community has grappled with the challenges of inadequate security infrastructure and so, I felt compelled to act in a way that would bring lasting change.

“To us, this new Divisional Police Station is more than just a building; it is a symbol of hope, unity and progress. It is equipped with modern facilities that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our Police Force in safeguarding lives and property. I am confident that it will serve as a beacon of security, not just for Ogbona, but for neighbouring communities as well.

“To my fellow community members, I implore you to take ownership of this facility. Support the officers, report incidents promptly, and work hand in hand to create an environment where everyone feels safe and protected. Security is a collective responsibility, and together we can achieve remarkable results”.

Speaking in the same vein, the National President of Ogbona Youth Forum, Mr. Paulinus Eleta, noted with delight that “the project will help to achieve a better secured environment within the Edo North zone, especially in this era of kidnapping and other security threatening issues.”

He stated that OYF, as the premier youth organisation in Ogbona community, is “committed to bridging the obvious gap that existed in the areas of human and physical development in our community.”

To this end, he disclosed that the organisation “has decided to do a mini groundbreaking ceremony of our next project, which is a skill acquisition centre where both Indigenous and non-indigenous youths of Ogbona community can benefit to improve human capital development and a better life of our people.”

Also speaking, Chief Dan Orbih, the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, South-South region, who presided at the event advocated “strong collaboration between the society with the Nigeria Police in security and peacebuilding to positively change the present negative trends in the country.”