Community policing: Borno Police Command Organized Stakeholders Workshop to Enhance Professionalism, Partnership

Community policing: Borno police command organized stakeholders workshop to enhance professionalism, partnership

By Madu Mohammed Maiduguri

The Borno state command of the Nigerian Police in collaboration with British High Commission, have organized a sensitization workshop to critical stateholders on partnership and networking, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Central Motor Vehicle Registration to enhance professionalism, partnership and networking to achieve effective policing.

Speaking at the one day workshop yesterday at the Police headquarters, Maiduguri, the Commissioner Police, Borno state Command Cp, Lawan Yusuf said ” the workshop is geared toward enhancing professional capability on the part of the police, and seek to go beyound partnership but networking , we have identified our critical stakeholders for this workshop.

The one day sensitization workshop brought together critical stakeholders from NSCDC, CSO, RTEAN, CBOs, Traders associations, mechanics and technical associations, NURTW, women and youths groups, traditional, community and religious leaders as well as the media.

Represented by the Deputy Commissioner of police, DCP, AM Bello, said ” You know the public is the police and police is the public . The essence of this workshop, as i have earlier said, is to enhance the professional capability on the part of the police to know that the right of individuals is not only to be protected but enhanced, as directed by our respected Commissioner of police, CP Lawan Yusuf which is also a directive by the IGP Dr Kayode Evetukun,” the DCP Said.

He said ” secondly, Borno state has been faced with insurgency and terrorism in the last 15 years, there were quite a number of local government areas under the control of Boko Haram, as it is today, they have deciminated and their capacity to carryout organized attacks and criminality has been reduced. What they are doing, is just pockets of isolated attacks on soft targets that was why gender office or desks were created in all the police stations across the 27 local government areas”

“Ours is to restore civil authorities across the 27 local government areas who are hitherto under the occupation of the Boko haram. Peace is necessary for you to have a hospitals, schools court and it is for that reason we are training our personnel on how best to partner with the respective community they are policing that exactly is the reason why the workshop is been organized”, he added.

“There is no country in the world without police no individual or group is an island onto itself, this was why we are partnering and networking together.”if you see something say something” if there is wrong doing in the part of our police, we made available our hotlines numbers, you can call to report him and be rest assured necessary actions will be taken Complainer are free to come to the police headquarters to complain or go through the press “, he further explained.

Also speaking the International Police Adviser, Gender Based Violence  Advocate and Facilitator of British High Commission (BHC), which is funded program, ” Lake Chad Basin Support Framework” Mrs Elizabeth Mac Loard  has called on the society to expose the atrocities of sexual violence and ensure the perpetrators/abusers are brought to book and jailed accordingly .

Mrs Mac loard Said that, it is through the exposure and punishment of the perpetrators that peace will reign and our communities or society will be secured saying that, Angela Jolie, an American Legislator saying,” on issue of sexual violence, the shame is the Abusers  Not the Survivors “.

She said that there are two essential things to be reckoned with and recognized always which include breaking silence about sexual violence especially, rape and girl child abuse or violence including child  labour.

In his presentation, CSP Shuabu Jaafaru, the Lead Trainer who is also the  2IC  MOPOL 6 emphasized on the need for a secured environment and secured community at large which centers on the responsibility of the NPF

He said that, the police can not adequately police the community without collective support of all members of the society, as according, security is a collective business.

CSP Jafaru charged community and religious leaders, youths and women groups as well as ethnic and students groups to live up to expectations , build trust and confidence among their members, cooperate and liaise with the police on collaborative manner to achieve a secured environment and community.

Also in her presentation, Inspector Lydia Jeremiah, SGBV Advocate and Officer spoke on sexual and gender based violence, it’s consequences, understanding  SGBV, harassment, stigmatization, molestation, segregation, child marriage, illiteracy, lack of legal support, cultural and traditional issues and medical or psychological problems among others.