By Onwukwe Jenarius Ezeru, Abia
The Abia State Police Command Eminent Peoples Forum has charged eminent people in the state to collaborate with the Police in their efforts to secure lives and properties in the state.
The appeal came at the end of forum’s maiden meeting in Umuahia, the state capital, with a 19-point communiqué on ways and measures to be taken to ensure adequate policing of the entire state.
According to the communiqué made available to journalists, the forum stated that security was no more the exclusive responsibility of the Police and other security agencies just as it assured that the police in the state have adopted community policing as one of the veritable tools in crime fighting and prevention.
The communiqué read in parts: “The Nigeria Police have resolved to observe the International core values of policing with integrity as well as observe the rule of law. The Police have departed from the traditional policing methods to community policing which is now a global phenomenon.”
The forum agreed that the community while working in synergy with the Police must identify their concerns that are more threatening to their wellbeing and safety just as it posited that traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders are not expected to perform the conventional roles of providing security to the citizenry, but rather work as the ears and eyes of the communities.
The meeting, which was attended by the deputy governor of the state, Ude Okochukwu, and the deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, Cosmas Ndukwe, also resolved that information should be volunteered by the critical stakeholders in security agencies and to monitor incidents that occur in their various communities. According to the communiqué, “Private persons exercising their powers of arrest must hand over the arrested persons promptly to the police.
Critical stakeholders should not harbour people in their communities without knowing or ascertaining their means of livelihood. Strange objects and persons must be reported to the Police and other security agencies while information volunteered must be credible and timely to meet desired goal to crime management”. While asking youths in the state to shun get-rich-quick syndrome and all forms of criminality and engage in more meaningful activities, the forum insisted that vigilante/ neighbourhood watch must register their various groups as well as work in synergy with the police and monitor security situation in their localities.