From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Minister of Police Affairs, Hon Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, has called for collaboration with stakeholders in various communities across Nigeria to ensure the safety of lives and property.
Suleiman-Ibrahim made the statement during the “Renewed Hope Police Agenda: Citizens’ Town Hall Engagement on Strengthening Community Policing in Nigeria”, themed “Community Policing: Building a Safer Nigeria Together”, held in Nasarawa State on Wednesday.
“The police cannot be everywhere in these communities, so we must ensure that we play our own role in ensuring that we remain safe and secure,” Suleiman-Ibrahim said.
She emphasised that citizens must become vigilant and report any changes or suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.
“The police need the support of the community to succeed. We cannot do it alone,” she added.
The Minister acknowledged that funding is never enough but assured that the government would utilise available funds and continue to seek additional funding from the private sector.
“We need collaborations and partnerships from the whole of society,” Suleiman-Ibrahim said.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, also present at the event, noted that security is everyone’s responsibility.
“Security is not just the responsibility of the police or the government. It is everyone’s responsibility,” Sule said.
He emphasised the importance of engaging traditional rulers, community leaders, and religious leaders in policing activities.
Governor Sule noted that engagement with stakeholders has led to a reduction in security challenges in the state.
“The engagement has helped us to understand the challenges and develop strategies to address them,” he said.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Dasuki Galamdamci, explained that community policing, a strategy introduced during the Obasanjo administration, “is based on the principles of empowerment, machine intelligence-led policy, openness, transparency, and accountability”.
He announced that the Institute had approved crime pattern analysis and crime mapping for the entire country.
“This will help identify security challenges and develop strategies to address them,” Galamdamci added.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) stated that the police have established channels for citizens to report grievances and complaints.
“We have established the Complaint Response Unit and the Public Complaint Desk. Citizens can report any grievance or complaint to these channels,” the IGP said.
“We must work together to ensure the safety of lives and property,” Suleiman-Ibrahim reiterated.
Daily Sun reports that the Minister also visited police formations in the state, including the Police Command Secondary School, the Police Public Relations School, and other formations in Lafia.
She also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Lafia to confer with him on security matters, further emphasising her commitment to strengthening community policing in Nigeria.
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