Police Will Be Repositioned For Optimal Performance – Minister

The federal government is committed to deep reforms and robust policy implementation to strategically position the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to fulfil its constitutional mandate.

Minister of Police Affairs (State) Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated this yesterday in Lafia at the “Renewed Hope Police Agenda: Citizens Town Hall Engagement on Strengthening Community Policing in Nigeria.”

The Citizens Town Hall Engagement on Strengthening Community Policing in Nigeria has the theme: “Community Policing: Building a Safer Nigeria Together.”

According to her, the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu has placed security at the centre of the administration’s eight priorities.

She said that implementing a community policing strategy, designed based on local peculiarities and consideration, with the full participation of members of the various communities and stakeholders, was at the heart of the Renewed Hope Police Agenda.

She said that the reform agenda hinged on six foundational pillars that served as strategic frameworks carefully designed to redefine and strengthen the Nigeria Police Force.

She listed the pillars as technical and operational excellence, infrastructure advancement, welfare enhancement, policy framework development, community policing and re-branding, strategic communication, and public trust management.

“As a forward-looking administration, we are now committed to these deep

reforms, backed by a robust implementation plan and innovative resource mobilisation, which has been the bane of previous reform efforts.

“In my role as the Minister of State Police Affairs and as the first female minister of

police, I have committed to supporting efforts to deliver viable solutions to tackle the complex issues that have limited the capability of the Nigeria Police Force,” she said.

While commending Governor Abdullahi Sule, Sulaiman-Ibrahim described Nasarawa State as unique in terms of security, noting that despite security complexities, the state has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of challenges.

In his remarks, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State lauded the minister for her dedication and leadership in driving the critical reform aimed at transforming policing in Nigeria.

He said the town hall meeting will provide the state government with a crucial platform to explore new ideas, gather valuable insights, and strengthen the state’s collective approach to ensuring the safety and security of Nasarawa State.

Also speaking, Inspector General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun, represented by DIG Dasuki Galadanci, said to strengthen the community policing strategy, his office has approved crime pattern analysis and crime mapping surveys across the country.

“These analyses have been documented and will be analysed, and we will be able to know precisely what is wrong with the local government of Nasarawa Eggon. What is wrong with Keffi? What is the challenge in Lafia?

“What is specifically wrong in each of the local governments across the country, and what strategies do we need to employ to tackle the problems?” he said.