On Wednesday, the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, held a meeting with stakeholders from communities across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State.
The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen community policing efforts and address the issue of criminality in the state. The minister, speaking at the Renewed Hope Agenda Citizens Town Hall Engagement event in Lafia, explained that the agenda aimed to implement a community policing strategy that takes into account the unique characteristics and considerations of each local community, with active involvement from community members.
The minister also mentioned that the Ministry of Police Affairs, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, had started a branding campaign to create a positive and modern image for the Nigeria Police Force.
She stated, “Today’s town hall is a reflection of the significant shift in our approach to policing. As you may be aware, Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 puts the security and welfare of our people as the government’s priority.
“The Constitution, the Police Act of 2020, and the National Security Strategy go further to position the Nigeria Police Force as the lead in internal security.
“As a responsible government, therefore, Mr President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has placed security at the centre of the administration’s eight priorities, and we have commenced the implementation of the Renewed Hope Police Agenda, which will ensure that our police force is strategically positioned to fulfil its mandate.”
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, representing the Inspector-General of Police, stated that the police force’s efforts were aimed at delivering quality service and apprehending criminals in Nasarawa State and across Nigeria.
He further emphasized, “Without safety and security, there will be no meaningful development. We have decided to use local solutions to solve our local problems. Community policing is a strategy and we have adopted it to tackle security issues in communities.”
Previously, Otuonunyo Kenneth, the National Vice-chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee, emphasized the importance of public support for the police in their duties. He highlighted that insufficient manpower posed a significant challenge to their operations.
He noted, “We all know in this country that the police are understaffed. They work 24 hours a day to provide security for the people. They need all our support and encouragement. We should always correct them in love because they are making a lot of sacrifices to provide security for the people.”
Governor Abdullahi Sule, in his address, expressed his warm welcome to dignitaries from the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country attending the town hall meeting.
He assured them of the state government’s unwavering commitment to provide the police with essential logistics required for their smooth execution of duties.
