Police IG Urges Mutual Trust and Community Collaboration to Combat Insecurity

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has called for a significant shift in the relationship between law enforcement and the public, emphasizing that sustainable security in Nigeria can only be achieved by ending the cycle of mutual suspicion.

Speaking during a strategic stakeholders’ engagement in Awka, Anambra State, on Tuesday, the Inspector-General, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of the South-East, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, stressed that effective crime prevention relies on a foundation of genuine trust.

“The people need to trust the police, and the police also need to trust the people. It is only when there is mutual trust between the police and communities that information can flow freely,” DIG Onwuemelie stated.

The event, which is part of a nationwide series of engagements directed by the Inspector-General, brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, security agency heads, and civil society organizations. The forum was designed to identify localized security threats, improve intelligence sharing, and foster a coordinated approach to addressing issues such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, and drug trafficking.

During the meeting, the DIG lamented the “culture of silence” in many communities, noting that criminals are often allowed to operate unchecked due to a lack of timely information from residents. He urged stakeholders to treat security as a collective responsibility, advocating for closer cooperation between the police, vigilante groups, and traditional institutions.

Addressing the ongoing national discourse on state police, DIG Onwuemelie clarified that the Nigeria Police Force is not an obstacle to its implementation. He explained that establishing state police requires comprehensive constitutional amendments, a process he noted rests with the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

In his remarks, the representative of the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, DCP Ibrahim Ezekiel, reaffirmed that security remains the essential bedrock of economic and social progress. He encouraged citizens to remain vigilant and proactive in their partnership with security agencies.

The engagement also featured a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the Awka Kingdom, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, where the police leadership acknowledged the vital role of traditional institutions in grassroots peacebuilding and conflict resolution.