As community policing comes on stream in Ogun

Seyi Bakare

Sir: Last week, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun launched the community policing project in the state at the Obas’ Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He also constituted the state’s community police advisory committee during which he harped on security, productivity and industrialization as his special areas of focus.

He called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police to intensify efforts at total reform of the force to ensure effective community policing.

Declaring that there was no alternative to a proactive, dynamic and intelligence-led police force, he expressed admiration for the police headquarters’ initiatives on community policing.

Here’s the deal: the community policing  outfits in  the state would complement the efforts of the Amotekun corps, battling insecurity to a standstill in the state and providing a leeway for investment drives, local or foreign.

It is no wonder then that the representative of the Inspector-General of Police on that occasion, David Folawiyo, urged the people to give necessary support to the project as they now had power to secure their own communities through selected representatives.

Community policing allows officers to continuously operate in the same area in order to create a stronger bond with the citizens living and working there.

That way, public safety officers are afforded opportunities to engage with local residents and prevent crime from happening instead of responding to crimes already committed, with heavy toll on community life.

Although it does not eliminate the need to address already committed crimes, it definitely reduces the need for such through prevention of crime.

Governance, particularly in an increasingly challenging environment like the world currently has to contend with, requires innovative thinking.

Without sounding unduly adulatory, the new security initiative is worthy of applause, and deserves the support of all well-meaning individuals.

A business mogul and boardroom czar like Abiodun is sufficiently apprised of the fact that it is only in a peaceful and crime-free environment that investors can do business to their hearts’ content.

To be sure, community policing is not new in Nigeria. Prior to independence, the country, then on the march to greatness, had very strong community police outfits.

But military incursion into governance and the ensuing centralisation of nearly everything flushed that policing system into the drain and created the security monsters we battle today – Boko Haram terrorism, herdsmen’s terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, and in recent times, even the rape epidemic.

But with the Abiodun intervention in Ogun, hopefully the situation will begin to change, and a new national narrative can spring forth.

Crucially, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, religious leaders, and members of the various communities in the state would be able to identify strangers, spot dubious conduct, and alert the authorities to take prompt action.

Crime is not committed by ghosts; the criminals live among us. They have families among us.  The moment we build confidence in our community, we would be able to nip those crimes in the bud.

In this regard, it is thrilling that the committee unfolded by Governor Abiodun is distinguished. It is replete with people of impeccable character and its chairman is no less a personality than the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Adetona.

In any case, it is no longer news that since coming on board, Governor Abiodun has upgraded security facilities in the state.

He bought 100 vehicles and 200 motorcycles for security patrol, ensuring that the security challenges hitherto experienced in the state reduced significantly.

He reportedly rallied friends and lovers and raised over N1bn in donor funds. Clearly, he is not ready to play politics with the lives of the people.

• Seyi Bakare, Abeokuta, Ogun State.