Community policing: IGP, Ohanaeze Disagree

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-political group, have disagreed over the modus operandi of community policing in the country. 

The IGP spoke at the end of South-East Security Summit held in Enugu, saying special officers will be recruited as community police. 

He said this officers would be under the control of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The community policing model is one that will draw on the legal opportunities provided by the Police Act for the engagement of special constables who will be engaged as community policing officers under the coordination of the Nigeria Police Force towards evolving a community -focused policing architecture.”

However, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, disagreed with this.

He appealed for the creation of South-East security force to be known as ‘Operation Ogbunigwe’.

Nwodo said, “Mr IGP, our farms have been devastated and the herders that devastated our farms carry AK-47 rifles. You cannot be talking about community policing when the people you want to supervise, you do not understand their language.

“Your legal architecture doesn’t take into consideration that our governors, by the constitution are the chief security officers of their various states, and this gives them the responsibility to protect the lives and property of their citizens.  

“So when you begin to talk about recruitment, with the commander and control, and you do not share with the governors and representatives at the local areas this command and control and recruitment, this exercise is dead on arrival.”