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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Personnel of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command on Monday took to the streets of Abuja for an environmental sanitation exercise as part of activities lined up to commemorate the 2026 Police Day.
The police officers specifically embarked on the cleaning of the Area One motor park and adjoining streets in a community outreach aimed at improving public perception.
The exercise, which started at the Area One motor park and ended at the nearby market, saw officers sweeping streets, clearing refuse, and interacting with residents.
Some officers also assisted residents with washing clothes, while the Commissioner of Police used a shop owner’s sewing machine, gestures that drew cheers from members of the community.
Addressing the crowd, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, said the outreach was part of programmes approved by the Inspector-General of Police to foster closer ties with civilians through community engagement.
He said, “The IGP has graciously slated programmes for us to have community outreach, medical outreach for members of the civil populace and then engage in environmental sanitation to impact civil society so they will know that we are part of them,”.
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He further stated that the exercise was designed to demonstrate the importance of cleanliness and show the readiness of officers to serve the public in a more friendly and approachable manner.
Reacting to the cheers from residents, the police chief said the response reflected growing acceptance of the police by the community.
He said, “Simply acceptability — we have been accepted by them, they love us and that’s why they are cheering us up. We are very happy and will reciprocate by giving them better services as we continue,”
Impressed by the gesture of the police, one of the residents, Saliu Aliyu, applauded the officers, describing the initiative as a commendable step towards strengthening relations between the police and the public.
He said, “This is a welcome development which will help boost the relationship between the citizens and the police. We want them to truly be our friend so we can all join hands together to tackle the security issues we have in the country. “
The street sanitation formed part of activities lined up by the Nigeria Police to commemorate this year’s Police Day, which emphasises community engagement and improved police-public relations.
The initiative also aligns with directives from the Inspector-General of Police for commands nationwide to undertake outreach programmes, including medical services and environmental sanitation.
