By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
In a major step towards strengthening grassroots security, the Neighbourhood Enlightenment and Safety Organisation (NESO) South West zone held its first official appointment and decoration ceremony at Chosen International Secondary School, Festac Town, Lagos.
The event marked a significant milestone in NESO’s mission to build safer communities, drawing newly decorated officers from five south-western states: Lagos (38 officers), Ogun (12), Ondo (24), Oyo (11), and Osun (32).
Representing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Area E, Festac, CSP Balogun Gboyega, CSP Akam James emphasised that security is no longer a burden for official agencies alone. He called on all citizens to take part in safeguarding their neighborhoods.
“Security is not the job of one person alone. Everybody must be involved,” he said, stressing that the rise of local security initiatives like NESO was a necessary response to the nation’s growing insecurity.
CSP James highlighted NESO’s crucial role in intelligence gathering, which has led to the arrest of 75 kidnappers and 95 cultists in previous years, particularly in Ikorodu.
He described NESO operatives as the “Eye of the Police,” noting their deep integration within communities and ability to identify strangers or suspicious activities quickly. “Their main job is to gather information,” he explained, “so that we, the police, can digest and act on it.”
He emphasised that while NESO members are critical to security, they do not carry weapons, except for a few specially trained individuals whose identities remain discreet for their safety. “We don’t want them exposed,” he said. “Their strength lies in their ability to blend into the community and provide real-time intelligence.”
The Assistant Cure Commander General (ACCG) of NESO South West zone, Olaadade Babatunde, further detailed the organisation’s impact and history. According to him, NESO has operated for over a decade without government funding, relying solely on the personal contributions of its members.