Worried by the growing security challenges in the country, a report has it that President Muhammed Buhari will soon approve the adoption of a community police system nationwide. Mohammed Adamu, mni, the Ag Inspector-General of Police, made the revelation on Tuesday at a Forum of Northern Traditional Rulers in Kaduna.
The Police chief noted that to combat the growing security threats across Nigeria, community policing is the way forward. Adamu affirmed that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in concert with other Security Agencies have achieved major successes in addressing security and safety threats in recent times. He averred that the success was appreciable since the launch of ‘Operation Puff Adder’.
“It is a citizen-centred and community policing approach which will lead to more sustainable successes in the management of internal safety and security threats,” he said.
Mr Adamu also stated that the Community Policing Model envisaged for by the NPF will involve the establishment and utilization of the Special Constables. The IGP said Special Constables Model is mirrored after the Police Community Support Officers Standard in the United Kingdom policing architecture.
The IGP also informed that the Special Constables will be drawn from members of the local communities to serve as Voluntary Community Police Officers (VCPO) under the coordination and supervision of the Nigeria Police Force.
Representing the Vice President, Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) assured that the establishment of community policing would not take away the powers of the NPF but rather revamp its operational capabilities. He added that the Federal Government would soon make public its new policy on community policing for better service delivery in Nigeria.
Mustapha also stressed further that, this new drive is in line with the expressed desire and directives of the President, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to nib in the bud all sorts of insecurity in the country.