How best can the Lagos Police Command secure the state? This and more engaged Commissioner of Police Imohimi Edgal’s attention at a seminar on community policing, reports ADEBISI ONANUGA.
Stakeholders in the criminal sector converged on Oriade Local Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State for a seminar on community policing.
It was to explore ways to partner with the Police to combat crime.
The event was organised by the Lagos State Police Command, Building Lives Around Sound Truth (BLAST) and Crimes Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON).
The Oriade Stakeholders Security summit had the theme: Community Policing: Know your neighbours.
Police officers, non-govermental organisations, students of Hope Spring International School, Agboju and Whitefield High School, Maza Maza, Lagos were present.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP) Edgal Imohimi emphasised the importance of cooperation between Police and the communities in ensuring a crime-free society.
He stressed the need for every member of the various communities to know his neighbor.
The CP said: “Community policing is a collective responsibility. The Police is not a spirit, neither are they magicians. The time has come now that you must know your neighbor and your neighbor must know you. We have to partner with ourselves to ensure we live in a safe environment.”
Imohimi, represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Administration Elkana Ayuba, said the police initiated town hall meetings due to the need for effective collaboration.
He said the aim was to reinforce public trust in the Police, adding that 10 of such meetings have held so far.
The commissioner, who said offices of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) are open and would protect them, also emphasised the need for those with useful information to give to the Police.
“When you give information, it would save you, it would save your neighbour,” he said.
Responding to a question from one of the students, DCP Ayuba blamed parents for involvement of the youths in cybercrimes, saying that they failed to monitor what their children are doing with the hi-tech phones they bought for them.
He also regretted that most students who bullied their colleagues turned out to be cultists much later.
“Today, students no longer read. They are always looking for answers on the internet and in the course of this, they get involved in crimes on the internet”, he said and admonished parents and parents and teachers’ associations to devote more time for their wards and monitor what they are doing to prevent them from getting into crime.
Founder and Executive Director, CRIVIFON Gloria Egbuji, in her paper, lamented the spate of sexual abuse and domestic violence which she noted have been on the increase.
“The issue of domestic violence, for instance, is not one sided but something that could be provoked by either of the spouses. Regularly we receive report from either a man or his wife accusing the other of physical threat to his or her life or their children. We have had cases of body injuries inflicted on a spouse by his or her partner”.
Citing records at CRIVIFON, Egbuji said lamented reports of sexual abuse and assault on minors, teenagers and adult by some members of the society “in despicable manners”, citing incidents of adult males defiling their daughters or daughters of other parents, not minding the age of their victims.
Egbuji described sexual violence, thuggery, kidnapping, cultism and bulling in schools as threats to community peace and security pointing out that it has become expedient for stakeholders to passionately address the issues and provide workable solutions to help eradicate the spate of such crimes.
She further described election violence as another threat to community security and expressed regret that in spite of preachments and advocacy for a violent free democratic environment, “some citizens with narrow ambition and selfish interest have continued to look for ways to work against a violent free electoral process”.
She said every Nigerian has a responsibility to avoid and prevent violence during the coming elections.
Egbuji commended CP Imohimi for being “an effective, reliable, dependable and committed crime fighter”, noting that through his community policing and safety partnership initiative, he has been able to win the hearts of Lagosians and made them understand that they are relevant stakeholders in the task of crime fighting in the state.
“Through their partnership and collaboration, many incidents of crime have been nipped in the bud. There are enough records on ground to show how information squealed to the police by credible sources among the civil populace have led to arrest of suspects either prior, during or after committing some heinous crime like cultism, homesexuality, armed robbery, kidnapping, drug peddling.
“This community policing and safety partnership is the new spirit and I must confess that it is working out effectively under the leadership of CP Imohimi”, she stated.
Southwest Director, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Lucas Koyejo in his paper, “Fundamental Human Rights, Rule of Law, Community Security” urged the different communities in the state to work with the Police in order to make the society safe.
Koyejo listed human rights to include ‘rights to life, rights to dignity of every person, right to private and family life, right to personal liberty’ among others. “We must all be ready to assist the Police. If we must have a crime free society, Police need the cooperation of the community. It is only when crime is reduced that you can enjoy fundamental human rights”, he said.
The NHRC director said parents have the task of preventing their youths from going into crime and admonished them to do this by monitoring what their wards are doing and the kind of friends they keep.
Leader of Hausa Community in Oriade LCDA, Alhaji Hassan Dogo said people shy from giving credible information to the police because they are afraid and urged members of the community to see police as their friend and collaborate with them in order to ensure a crime free society.
Dogo recounted how information provided by people from the Hausa community have assisted the police to prevent crime before they occur in the area. He promised the continued support of his community to the force to make the area safe for living.
The event also witnessed the presentation of award to officers who have distinguished themselves on the job including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Satellite Town Police Station, Superintendent Ibrahim Audu, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Lamidi Uthman and Ifeanyi Nwodo, Inspector Samuel Agbovo, Inspector Grace Agboje while star award went to CP Imohimi in recognition of his commitment to rid the state of crime.