Varsity Don Calls for Collaboration between Police and Their Host Communities

By Praise Chinecherem

A university Don, Prof. Chidozie Nwafor has called for strong partnership between security agencies and host communities for protection of schools against criminal incursion.

Nwafor, Head of Psychology Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State stated this at a training workshop organised by the State Police command for operatives of Schools Protection Squad (SPS).

Delivering a lecture on “Security Agencies and Community Partnership in Safeguarding Nigerian Schools” Nwafor warned that quality education could not be impacted in an environment characterized by fear, danger to life and property.

He applauded initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun in establishing a special security team for the protection of schools across the country.

“I commend the initiative to involve other sister agencies, including the Immigration, Prisons, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Vigilante and host communities in the schools protection arrangement.

“The mutual understanding and trust between security agencies and communities should be prioritised for the initiative to succeed,” he noted.

The university Don however noted that security operatives and school’s management should be ready to respect the culture of the host communities in order to gain the confidence of the people.

“By this, the people will help the security operatives have easy access to intelligence information that will help them safeguard schools under their charge.

“If you come into a community where they don’t kill snakes, or, monkeys and you kill them, there will be chaos. So, try to study the community and endear yourselves to them.

“One security operative can secure a whole community where there is mutual understanding and trust between the security personnel and the people of the community”, Nwafor stated.

Also speaking, Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on security, Air Vice-Marshal Ben Chiobi (rtd) pledged government support to the IGP’s schools’ protection initiative.

He advised the state police command to strive to earn the confidence of the people to further enjoy more of government support.

Earlier, SPS National Co-ordinator, CP Lanre Ogunlowo explained that the Force deliberately designed the schools’ protection initiative to involve other sister agencies.

He further said that the peculiar environment of various communities would be profiled and respected in carrying out the security protection initiative.

Public Relations Officer of the Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the command would rely on the support of the sister agencies in view of its limited manpower to cover the entire state.

“The state has about 179 communities, and, as such it is obvious that the command does not have enough personnel to be posted to the various schools, hence the command will rely heavily on the support of the sister agencies,” he stated.