Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi
In an effort to enhance and improve the security of lives and property of the people under the Community Policing System initiated by the Inspector General of police, 706 Constabularies, have passed out after undergoing a two-month training program at the Police Training College Sokoto.
Speaking at the passing out ceremony in Sokoto, recently the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Retired Major Garba Rabi’u Kamba said out of the total number of 703 Constabularies that passed out, sokoto has about 368 while Kebbi state has 336.
The Governor who warmly welcomed the new Special Constabularies, thanked Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu for coming up with this laudable policy, which according to him, if fully implemented will help to stem the rising insecurity challenges bedevilling the nation.
He expressed gratitude to the commandant of the college for successful training of these constabularies, assuring that the state government will be responsible for their deployment to various LGAs in the state, where they are expected to use the knowledge, they have acquired towards ensuring security of the state.
Addressing the new Constabularies, after their arrival at the kebbi state Police Command, Commissioner of Police, Agunbiade Oluyemi Lasore said, each one of them is to serve in his respective community.
He tasked them to remain loyal and answerable to the Divisional Police Officers (DPO), of their respective local governments. “One of your duties is to report any suspicious person directly to the DPO and do not use your uniform to work against anybody, because you have personal issues with him,” the Commissioner, worn
“The Police Command has all your information; therefore, you need to organize yourselves.
“Accordingly, remember that you are no more civilians by now and maintain what is called ‘local knowledge.
“This is the knowledge that entails more about your community, as it helps you to work effectively” Oluyemi added.
In his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar Yauri, represented by the Deputy Director, Security Services, Abdurrahman Usman, congratulated the new special Constabularies, while calling on them to use the opportunity, to serve their communities, local government, state and the country at large, and ensure that, the issue of insecurity drop down to zero level, he noted that: “this is the essence of their involvement in to the security affairs.”
The SSG further said: “As the security conundrum is bedeviling some parts of the country, there is need for you to work harder and cooperate with Nigerian police and other security agencies towards bringing the menace to an end.”
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to assist police and other security agencies, to ease their operations, to curb banditry, armed robbery and other criminalities out of the state.
In their separate remarks, the Deputies Commissioner of Police In charge of Administration and Operations, DCP Aliyu Haruna and DCP Godwin Ere, respectively, admonished the new Special Constabularies to be well organized and dress as police officers.
This, the duo noted, was in order to maintain the status quo of the Nigerian Police Force in the eyes of the citizens.
They Informed the new officers that, their difference with the Nigerian Police is that, they will not carry arms.
There fore charged them to work based on the knowledge they have acquired from the Training College, emphasizing that, they must be secret keepers.
“In police language, open your eyes to see, your ears to hear, but keep your mouths shut,” they added.
