Senate, IGP Agree On Modalities For Amotekun, Others

The Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) codenamed Operation Amotekun got a major boost on Wednesday as the Senate and the Inspector General of Police agreed to work out the implementation modalities of community policing nationwide.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who spoke after over five hours of closed- door meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said the Upper Chamber resolved to support the police “through legislative interventions.”

Adamu had been invited by the Senate to brief it on the police’s “Concept and implementation modalities of Community Policing Policy” as part of efforts to curb the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Lawan also insisted that the police must be more “operationally proactive to protect the lives of the citizens.”

Lawan said: “The IG answered questions bordering on National security challenges, banditry, assaults on our major roads across the country, illegal circulation of fire arms and efforts on encouraging synergy between the federal and state governments from Distinguished Senators.

“The Senate thereafter resolved to support the Nigerian Police through legislative interventions.

“The Police Force must find a way to be more operationally proactive to protect the life’s of the citizens.”

Adamu, while answering questions from reporters after the session, urged Governors and Local Government Chairmen across the country to take responsibility towards addressing insecurity in their domains instead of leaving everything to security agencies.

He said that tackling insecurity should not be left for the police alone, as it is the responsibility of all.

He insisted that other arms of government, especially Governors and Local Governments Chairmen, should always be responsive in addressing issues that could potentially lead to insecurity in their domain.

Adamu said: “Security issues are fluid or dynamic. At a stage where you have a rise in crimes we re-strategize and deal with them and everywhere will be stabilized.

“And for a period of time you will see stability in crime situation. But at another stage you will see the criminals re-strategizing and coming out to commit crime.

“What we are saying especially with the concept of community policing is that fighting crime should not left to law enforcement agencies alone.

“It should not be left to security personnel alone. Everybody should be involved.

“What are the things that lead to the commission of crime? Are all issues to be dealt with by security agencies alone? No.

“There are other arms of government that needs to deal with issues of security. State Governors, Local Government Chairmen should take up their responsibilities.

“People that are committing these crimes there are reasons that make them to commit these crimes.

“If it is lack of employment, if it is lack of education or those issues that will require intervention by the government, the state Governor should take responsibility.

“Local government chairmen should take responsibility. Not that everything will be left to security agencies alone.”

The IGP explained that he appeared before the Senate and briefed them on the concept of community policing.

Adamu added: “If you can remember, last year we sensitised the country on the need to adopt community policing in the country and the concept is to give policing back to the community, let the community take the initiative in identifying the problems that are there that can lead to the commission of crime and the we work with the community to solve the crime.

“We believe that everybody comes from a community and the community is a community you know who and who is there.

“Taking policing back to the community will help in reducing crime to the barest minimum.

“So, I have explained the concept of community policing to the Senate which involves partnership with communities and there are various communities.

“You can have traditional institutions as a community. You can have the National Union of Road Transport Workers as a community. You can have the media as a community and various communities that you can have partnership with.

“If you are talking about partnership we are talking about problem solving. We need to solve problems that evolve in the community.

“What we mean here is that we scan the community to find out what are the indices that can lead to the commission of crime or a crime that has been committed already.

“We analysed the problems and then we look for solutions and the responses that are available then we deploy resources to deal with the problems and then subsequently we re-evaluate all our responses to see how we can adjust to solve the problem.

“And in doing this we need to capacitate our officers so as to key into the process. This is essentially what I explained to the Senate.”