BEVERLY HILLS, August 04, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State governor, Akinwumi Ambode on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the numerical strength of the Nigeria Police Force, disclosing that less than 30,000 police officers and men are providing security for the over 22 million Lagosians.
He then asserted that the issue of state police, which according to him was yet to gain the desired consensus, was the solution to the security challenges confronting the country.
The governor stated this through his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, at a public lecture entitled: ‘Providing Strategic Solutions to Emergent Security Challenges: The Essentials of Synergy Amongst Security Agencies and Civil Populace’. The event, organised by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was held in Lagos.
Ambode said: “I am sure that the guest speaker who is widely acclaimed in the field of security administration and management, Prof. Etannibi Alemika, would provide a window that should lead to the development of strategies that are appropriate for a knowledge and technology driven 21st century policing.
“The nature and sophistication of crime and criminal activities changes in direct proportion to human advancement. Developing effective solution to emerging security challenges must therefore take into consideration, the deployment of appropriate technology and strengthening the bond with the people through community policing.
“Although the issue of state police has not gained the desired consensus, I believe strongly that it is the panacea for effective policing that is community based. Given the complexity of security challenges, the imperative for a safe and secured environment for investment, we established the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, LNSC.
“This initiative is driven by our firm conviction that credible intelligence is the bedrock of an effective security strategy. This organisation, with membership recruited from the local community, will interface between the security agencies and the public by providing intelligence for crime prevention.
“It is a common knowledge that the numerical strength of the Nigeria Police as at today falls short of the minimum requirements relative to our population. For instance, Lagos State, with a population of over 22 million, has less than 30,000 officers and men.
“While this shortfall can be bridged, to some extent, with the deployment of appropriate technology, the need for a close relationship between the people and the police hinged on mutual respect and trust cannot be over emphasised.
“The unfortunate tragedies and trauma caused by the ‘Badoo’ crime incidents in Ikorodu area is a challenge that government has responded to with the community playing a major role in support of security agencies. The same can also be said about the menace of kidnapping, which is becoming a malignant security issue.
“We have recorded appreciable progress in dealing with these social vices and we would not relent until these criminal phenomena and the likes are uprooted wherever they exist within the nooks and crannies of the state.
“We should utilise the opportunities afforded by this platform to thoroughly examine the peculiarities of security challenges in Nigeria and proffer suggestions that would lead to the development of strategies that would help in curbing crime and other social vices especially in the metropolitan areas with high population convergence.”
