Security Experts at the Sixth Annual Security Converge held in Calabar have asserted that community policing was key to enhanced security and socioeconomic development in Nigeria.
The three-day converge which was organised by the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies (ISSS) had the theme; “Addressing Nigeria’s security challenges: Panacea for Socio-Economic Development.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference had in attendance officials of paramilitary organisations, academia, private and public sector including officials of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) Court of Justice.
In a communique issued at the end of the conference on Saturday and read by ACP Paddy Ogon retired, the group stated that the conference sought to identify challenges bedevilling the nation’s security and devise strategies for addressing them.
Calling for high-level vigilance, the security experts noted that community policing was essential to reduce crime and criminalities, especially kidnapping.
According to them, there is a need for a strengthened Joint Taskforce, Interagency security meetings, training and capacity building of personnel to ensure synergy.
Speaking further, the group said developing a seamless communication network amongst agencies, was expedient for a national security strategy.
They appealed to the Federal Government to release all political prisoners in its custody, adding that this would ensure and strengthen national integration.
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“Factors responsible for separatist agitations in Nigeria include feelings of marginalisation, faulty 1999 constitution that has not made it possible for the states to fulfil their role as component federating units.
“The nation must also deal with the issue of nepotism, poor leadership, poverty, unemployment, amongst others while ensuring the provision of basic amenities to the people,” they maintained.