Community Policing: Kwara Police urges Local authorities to adopt initiative

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Mr Victor Olaiya, has urged the authorities of local government areas in the state to key into community policing initiative of the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokunto to curb crimes.

He stated this in Ilorin at the maiden Peace and Security Meeting of Kwara Central Security Initiative at the instance of chairmen of Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa Local Government Areas of the state and had in attendance traditional chiefs from Kwara Central.

Olaiya, who spoke through Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of ‘C’ Division of the state police command, Yusuf Mukaila, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said community policing would help to nip crimes in various local communities in the bud.

He noted that traditional rulers play crucial roles in minimizing crimes and implored local government leadership to carry them along, identifying them as custodians of culture and tradition.

The police chief recalled the frequency of attacks in Ilorin metropolis due to the unwholesome activities of rival cult gangs but explained that the presence of community policing had helped to curtail it.

Olaiya expressed concern over the prevalence of uncontrolled drugs in circulation, blaming it on the culture of evil among the youth.

He added that the passage of law prohibiting sales of alcohol in parts of Ilorin metropolis was a welcome development as it has gone a long way to reduce the effect of misconduct associated with alcohol consumption.

A Chief Superintendent of Corps of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Saliman Surajudeen, who represented the divisions of the corps in Kwara Central, said security of people could not be left in the hands of security agencies alone and called for cooperation of residents.

Speaking on behalf of the Department of State Services, Kayode Lapite, a Senior Officer of the department, observed that kidnapping persists owing to the unwillingness of people to expose the perpetrators, warning that it would not cease until the citizens determine to collectively fight it.

The Daudu Ballah in Asa Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Olarongbe Abdulkadir, attributed the persistent insecurity to the inordinate quest for worldly materials that has eaten deep into the society.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the state Governor on Security Matters, Muyideen Aliyu, urged the citizens to furnish security agencies with actionable information about crimes in their communities.

He, however, called on local government chairmen to coordinate the security meeting and ensure it is held on monthly basis.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) of Ilorin West Local Government Area, Mr Abdulgafar Omotosho, explained that indiscriminate movement of weapons was heightening crime rate in local communities.

Omotosho, who spoke on behalf of TIC chairman in Kwara Central, tasked the police to intensify commitment on stop and search operation but cautioned against violation of people’s fundamental human rights under the guide of the assignment.

“My colleagues and I have concluded to work together to intensify effort at curtailing any kind of crimes in our communities such as kidnapping, cultism, hooliganism and the like that may affect the peace of our local government areas and the state at large.

“In this regard, we are calling on the security agencies to work in synergy more than ever before in order to achieve the targeted aims and objectives of this meeting.

“It should be noted that implementation is the key of any policies or strategies and if relationship among sister agencies that would enforce is not cordial enough, there is no way we can deliver as expected.

“However, we would rely solely on Nigeria Police Force to put more effort in ‘stop and search operation’ and urge them to operate within the purview of the law by not violating anybody’s right while we communicate to the people of our communities through different platforms to cooperate with security agencies during this operation.

“We are on the same page with Kwara State government that if there is no movement of weapons, the crime rate will be reduced to minimal level if not eradicated”, the TIC chairman said.