The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution inviting the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to appear in person to make input to ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to introduce Community Policing in Nigeria. The Senate made the resolution following a motion moved by Senator representing Osun West, Ademola Adeleke titled 'The Need to Post Junior Cadre of the Nigeria Police Force to Their States and Local Government Area to Enhance Community Policing in Nigeria.’
He sought that lower ranking officers in the Nigerian Police be posted to their respective states of origin to assist in effective policing.
“It is desirous that the lower ranks of the Nigeria Police – Constable to the rank of Inspector – be posted to their respective states of origin to improve and impact positively on community policing through synergy with vigilante groups and traditional rulers to address the current state of insecurity in the country.
The Senate is aware that there have been calls for the creation of state police in order to proffer a lasting solution to the perennial security challenges due to the ineffectiveness or outright bias of the Nigerian Police Force in carrying out their national assignment.
The Senate is further concerned that the disconnect between the Nigeria Police and the various communities with their different cultural values and orientation created a vacuum that needed to be filled through community policing in order to avail the federal police the opportunity to concentrate on its primary duties of detection, prevention and prosecution of crime at the national level.
The motion was unanimously adopted and the legislators resolved to “direct the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to invite the Inspector General of Police to suggest ways and means of actualising community policing.”
