Dipo Kehinde/
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu today unveiled plans to recruit 40,000 Nigerians to kick start the Community Policing experiment across the country.
Addressing stakeholders at a Southwest Geopolitical Zone Security Summit in Ibadan, Oyo State today, Adamu said that the recruits would be drawn from professional bodies like the academics, Road Transport Unions, Artisans, Traders Associations, Religious Bodies, Women Unions, and Youth Organizations among others in order to ensure diverse representation.
He told his audience including Southwest governors, traditional rulers and civil society groups at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan: “Furthermore, in order to give full effect to our Community Policing Vision as a pathway towards bridging security gaps, we shall soon commence the implementation of the strategy in the South West and other parts of the country. Hopefully, the breakdown of the Community Policing deployment plan will cover the recruitment of a total of 40,000 Community Police Officers (CPOs) across the country.
“The CPOs will be recruited from within the communities where the prospective applicants reside and an average of 50 CPOs are to be engaged in each of the 774 Local Government Areas. In addition, 1,300 CPOs will be drawn from professional bodies like the academics, Road Transport Unions, Artisans, Traders Associations, Religious Bodies, Women Unions, and Youth Organisations among others in order to ensure diverse representation.
“In relation to the South West, the CPOs shall be deployed to complement the Police in law enforcement functions within their localities by performing low-risk and non-sensitive policing functions. They will also act as liaisons between the Police and their communities. This policing architecture will free-up conventional police personnel that hitherto perform such functions and enhance our manpower profile in relation to deployment to the frontline, operational duties in the South West and across the country.”
Adamu also disclosed that he would be flooding the highways with patrol vehicles and security cameras soon, as he revealed that the highest recovery of ammunition this year was made in Southwest Nigeria.
He said, “Between January – August 2019, a total of 552 murder suspects were arrested with 66 such arrests effected in the South West. Similarly, 2,015 armed robbery suspects were arrested with 363 of the figure arrested in the South West, while 1,154 kidnapping suspects were also apprehended in various operations. 147 of these were arrested in the South West. Furthermore, 1,183 suspected cultists have also been arrested with 425 of this figure apprehended in the South Western States.
“In relation to recoveries, 1,356 firearms of various calibre and descriptions were recovered in various intelligence-led operations by the Police with 277 of such recoveries made in the South Western part of the country. Similarly, 21,300 ammunition of various descriptions and calibre were recovered in various intelligence-led operations with the highest number of 5, 270 ammunition recovered from criminal syndicates in the South West including about 2,700 ammunition recovered in June 2019 from a cross-border arms smuggling syndicate in Oyo State. Furthermore, 1,541 stolen vehicles were recovered with 482 of such recoveries achieved in the South West while a total of 837 kidnapping victim were rescued with 106 of such rescues achieved in the South West.
“The point being highlighted from these statistics is that the Nigeria Police in recent months have developed capacity and demonstrated the requisite professional zeal such that today, we can confidently say that we have the institutional capability not only for preventive actions but for responding effectively to any crime situation or threat with a view to locating and apprehending the criminal elements and disrupting their criminal enterprises across the country. It is this process that we call on you as strategic security stakeholders in the South West to support us in strengthening and advancing in the interest of our communal and internal security.”
Dignitaries at the event included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Oba Riliwanu Akiolu of Lagos; Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan of the Ugbo Kingdom, the Aare Ona Kankanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, and the Sarkin Fulani in the Southwest, Alhaji Muhammed Kabir Labar.
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