The Secretary to the Government of the Federation Mr Boss Mustapha on Friday received the report of the 14-member committee on recommendations for the establishment of state police.
The committee is headed by the Permanent Secretary (Special Services Offices (SSO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Dr Amina Shamaki.
Speaking during presentation of the report in his office in Abuja, the SGF assured of the speedy implementation of the recommendations which include alternative funding mechanism and deployment of technology for intelligence gathering.
He said the present administration has the political will to tackle the issues of insecurity in the country occasioned by the activities of terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and militants.
He said the current security challenges in the country have remained serious threats to good governance, effective service delivery and overall economic development and wellbeing of Nigerians.
“I am delighted to note that your work covered the issues of policy, institutional and legal frameworks as well as the underlying factors that impede the capacity of our security agencies to adequately contain the various manifestations of insecurity in our dear country.
“I equally note that your work touched on the need to deploy appropriate technology in the fight against the various dimensions of criminality, the context of coordinating internal security architecture, capacity development and professionalism of security personnel, citizens’ involvement in internal security management as well as innovative funding mechanisms of security agencies and their operations and not the least, welfare of personnel.
“I am highly delighted that you worked assiduously hard to exhaustively examine the Report of the Executive Course 40, 2018 and proposed some far-reaching recommendations, including implementation strategies aimed at reinvigorating the Internal Security framework and Community Policing in Nigeria within a short timeframe.
“I have no doubt therefore, that the outcome of your recommendations would enthrone a paradigm shift that will focus on Community Policing, re-orientation of citizens and building a sustainable conflict resolution process that would assist in solving the perennial security challenges in the country.
“Let me assure you that Government will critically, and without any delay whatsoever, study your Report and speedily give effect to the recommendations therein,” he said.
In her remarks, chairperson of the committee said members have proposed innovative alternative funding mechanism to ensure the provision of infrastructure, equipping agencies with modern gadgets and weapons and effective welfare and wellbeing of personnel. “The committee emphasised the deployment of technology particularly, for intelligence gathering, pre-empting incidences of crime and for resolving complex investigations.
“We highlighted the need for the Security Committees at the State and Local Government levels, to be made functional and the involvement of all strata of the society including the integration of the informal security outfits into the Community Policing Strategy,” she said.
Also speaking, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, who witnessed presentation of the report, said the time has come for community policing to be implemented.
“We have been waiting for the report. Policing should be driven from community and not uniformed police,” he said.
