By Haruna Yusuf
No fewer than 36 bandits who have been making life unbearable for the peace-loving people of North Central zone of Nigeria have repented and were presented to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.
This was at the meeting of the Security Summit, organised by Governors of the zone as part of their commitment toward curbing crime and criminality.
Meanwhile, the six governors from the zone rose from their Summit in Lafia with resolution to enhance efforts in tackling the security challenges confronting the area and the country, through improved collaboration toward for effective community policing.
In a communiqué read by Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, the governors enjoined traditional rulers and community leaders to assist the police in selecting community policing officers to be recruited to work within the various communities.
The governors also resolved to reinforce and provide improved capacity for the various security apparatus in their respective states with a view to supporting the community policing strategy of the Federal Government.
They also resolved to hold quarterly joint security meetings, to assess security situation as well share intelligence on the movement and activities of criminals within the zone.
The governors stressed the need for all states within the zone to increase their investment in social intervention programmes, to provide legitimate means of livelihood for youths, especially repentant criminals.
The Summit also agreed that state governments should provide necessary logistics services to enable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) return with their ancestral homes.
The Summit called on Ministries of Information of the various states to collaboration with traditional rulers/community leaders and Police Public Relations Officers, to create awareness on the need for people’s participation in community policing in the various areas.
They further urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to consider establishing more Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Counter Terrorism Units (CTU) bases in troubled spots, to complement existing security architecture in states within the zone.
The Inspector-Genersl of Police,Mr Mohammed Adamu, had earlier said that the Summit was the fifth in the series, adding that similar ones were held in four geo-political zones geared toward effective integration and implementation of the community policing strategy.
Adamu noted with satisfaction that implementation of resolutions by stakeholders from the previous summits had yielded significant decline in crime rate in the country.
He said that the Federal government was convinced that community level participation was critical to strengthening internal security, noting that most cases of insecurity happened at community level.
He said:“Therefore, mobilising for the participation of citizens in securing their communities, especially at the local level, is a key strategy that the government is determined to employ in its efforts to provide total security for citizens.
“It is in this context that the Federal government has approved the adoption of community policing approach as the strategy for policing Nigeria and guaranteeing internal security order.”
The police said that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved resources for the Police, to recruit special constables in line with sections 49 and 50 of the Police Act.
According to Adamu, this is a sign of commitment to the implementation of the strategy.
He said the Special Constables would work with traditional rulers, religious leaders, local associations, organised bodies and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) toward ensuring safer communities.
Duaglobalnews reports that the Summit has :” Strategic Partnership for Effective Community,Policing in the North-Central Zone/FCT” as theme.
All the governors from the zone:: Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Simon Lalong of Plateau and Samuel Ortom of Benue and Yahaya Bello of Kogi attended the event.
Other governors are: Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara and Abubakar Bello of Niger, while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, was represented by Adamu Gwari, the Director of Security.
The traditional rulers from the zone, including the Emir of Lafia, retired Justice Sidi Bage; the Attah Igala, Michael Ameh-Oboni; the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba-Gyang among others, also graced the summit.
