Community Policing In Nigeria A Scam – Says OAU Don

A professor from the Department of History at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Kemi Rotimi, has characterized community policing in Nigeria as a fraudulent concept.

The academic asserted that discussions surrounding community policing in Nigeria tend to intensify whenever financial support is provided by donor agencies committed to ensuring the safety of citizens and their property.

Naija News reports that Rotimi made these remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s program Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, emphasizing a lack of genuine discourse regarding community policing in the nation.

“When Nigeria Force Headquarters chiefs talk about community policing, if I call it a scam, I won’t be too wrong.

“For so many years, we have been mouthing and touting community policing; the noise will be deafening whenever there is donor agency money.

“The moment the donor agency money dries up, the noise will go down. In the last two years, have you noticed that we have not heard much about community policing?

“The Nigeria Police Force, as constituted, cannot be community policing. Why? The rapid turnover of staff—the staff deployment nature of the Nigeria Police Force—does not amount to community policing.

“Community policing, as a matter of fact, is not a programme; it is a philosophy that should undergird and be instilled into policing while training personnel,” Rotimi stated.