Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Worried by the increased level of insecurity in the country, Chairman, Nasirullahi-Li-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Kwara Zone, Alhaji Abdulkareem Shagaya, has advocated the adoption of community policing to stem the tide. He said individuals have role to play in curbing the menace by being vigilant.
Shagaya spoke on the side-line of the official inauguration of the new executives of the Kwara Zone of the society at the permanent site of the branch along Ilorin-Ogbomoso Road, Ilorin Airport:
“Perpetrators of insecurity did not descend from the sky but resident within the communities, hence, the urgent need to encourage community policing in the interest of security of life and property. The use of community policing through which personnel will be recruited within the communities will go a long way in protecting villages and cities.
“Some parts of the country have been battling with insurgency, banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and arms gangsterism with no end in sight. Latest in the series of insecurity ravaging the country is the Southern Kaduna crisis that reportedly claimed lives and invaluable property.”
Shagaya was of the conviction that the use of community policing would help in minimizing challenges of security: “We have to be very sincere with ourselves about the insecurity. I think we should adopt community policing. Then, individually, we supposed to be security conscious and vigilant, because I believe these people (perpetrators) are not coming from the sky.
“They are living with us, they wake up with us, they eat with us and they know everything going on around us. That is why they are able to perpetrate their evils all the time.
“But with the look of things, if we can do a community policing within ourselves, it will be a very good one within the communities and then the generality of villages and cities.”
Other officials sworn in included Alhaji Khalid Adegboye, Vice Chairman; Alhaji Adisa Toyosi, Secretary; Alhaji Abdullahi Ali Alay, Missioner; Sodiq Rahman, Financial Secretary; Alhaja Modinat Azeez, Audit Secretary and Alhaja Ajara Afolayan, Women Affairs Secretary. Others: Mallam Sikirullahi Mudashir, Security Secretary; Alhaji Yekini Bada, Welfare Secretary and Alhaji Bello Bashir, Education Secretary.
They also included, Alhaja Balogun Sidikat, Children’s Affairs Secretary; Alhaji Rasaq Atanda, Membership Secretary; Alhaji Mukaila Lawal, Publicity Secretary; Mallam Baba-Ita Lateef, Empowerment Secretary; Alhaja Fausiya Salaudeen, Medical/Health Services Secretary and Lukman Azeez Youth Secretary. Dignitaries at the event included Dr Sule Popoola and Alhaji Ajibola Aliyu.