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By Christopher Oji
Stakeholders on security have called on the Federal Government to do something urgent about the rising spate of cultism and other crimes in the country.
The stakeholders who spoke during Institute of Security ,Nigeria 2020 security conference at the University of Lagos, Akoka , at the weekend ,said Nigeria would be doomed if the issue of security , especially youths gangsterism was not addressed.
Director -General of the Institute of Security, Nigeria , a legal practitioner , Mr Adebayo Akinade , who described Nigeria as sitting on geg of gun power ready to explode said the EndSARS protest woul be a minor experience if the government failed to do something drastic about unemployment and youth restiveness .
He said the fear of the security challenges was the reason for the 13th Annual conference so as to train stakeholders in security from the private security practitioners, the Police , Army and other palamilitary agencies so as the guide them against future challenges.
He called on the government to review and enhance the condition of service in which security agents works in the country so that they would practice their skill honestly without any negative influence.
He further urged the government to review the curriculum of all schools at all levels, and encourage the establishment of technical sections and trade learning.
He said the challenge of gansterism and cultism were being caused by societal decays as most of the youths are no more interested in formal education and in learning trade.
He however advised the youth to exercise patience and ensure that they have a trade, “make sure you make a mark in whosever you are doing in the society.
“Security agents are also to ensure that they make use of the knowledge and skill they have learnt from the institute and there will be tremendous change,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Mr Mathew Ibadin, a graduate of Advance diploma on Insecurity and infrastructure protection, and a Fellow member of the institute ,said the impact of the training was going to broaden his horizon as well as to aid his commitment towards achieving a better society through community policing.
Ibadin, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Victoria Island, Lagos and a respected security consultant, said the training and his certification will be used for the betterment of the society.
“With what I have learnt from the institute, I will be able to diversify into local and community intelligence as well as integrating it into community policing so that at the end of the day, Nigeria will have a robust intelligence platform because when we have local intelligence most of the problems in the community will be solved.
The PCRC Chairman also note that the training will also have impact on security personnel who passed through the institution because it will change their level of understanding and communication with the public.
“People who pass through this institute will not behave like their counterparts because they have been able to understand what fundamental ingredients and professional way of handling community policing is all about.
“The community and the police need to have mutual relationship, members of the police force needs to integrate themselves with trainings like this, it’s a form of empowerment because you don’t give what you don’t have.
Earlier, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu who received an award from the institute said it’s a call to do more for the public.
The AIG who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of police, DCP Adegoke Fayoade added that: “We are going to ensure quality service and our officers as well as members of the community will be the centre point.
Policemen will also respect human rights and offer services that will be satisfactory to the public and more than ever, members of the public will be involved in policing of our neighborhoods and definitely there will not be issue of trust and crime rate will reduced because information gathering will be on the increase and before anything happens, both the members of the public and the civilian constabulary who is in partners with the police would have gotten the information that crime is about to take place and that will leads to high reductions in crime and when crime reduces, the standard of living will also increase and people will be able to go about their lawful businesses and there will be peace everywhere.
