By Izunna Okafor, Awka
As part of its effort to deepen professionalism, promote inter-agency coordination, and entrench the principles of community policing in Anambra State, the State Police Command says it is currently organizing a training and orientation programme for all vigilante operatives across the state, with focus on human rights, standard security protocols, and ethical community engagement.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement issued to newsmen on Thursday, the capacity-building initiative, which is being coordinated by the Command is in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun. He said the training is not just another gathering of local operatives, but a strategic reawakening of grassroots security personnel to the fundamentals of their civic duty and lawful conduct.
According to him, the programme features a lineup of seasoned facilitators drawn from the ranks of senior police officers, sister security agencies, human rights organizations, and civil society groups, all saddled with the responsibility of reorienting the vigilante operatives on best practices in community policing, lawful intelligence gathering, and rights-respecting enforcement operations.
He said the Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, while reiterating the Command’s commitment to institutionalizing discipline and professionalism at all levels of internal security architecture, emphasized that local vigilante operatives must operate in synergy with formal law enforcement officers and adhere strictly to the rule of law and operational standards.
He noted that the essence of the programme is not only to strengthen grassroots security intelligence but to also educate and sanitize operatives on the imperatives of respecting the fundamental rights of citizens in the course of their duties, which is non-negotiable in any democratic setting.
The Command also urged all community-based vigilante groups and neighborhood watch teams to fully cooperate with their respective Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Area Commanders to ensure effective supervision and smooth conduct of the exercise in their localities.
The training, according to the Command, forms a major part of its broader strategy to enhance security from the grassroots, reinforce professionalism across board, and boost the public confidence necessary to sustain peace and development across Anambra communities.
Recall that the Anambra State Police Command, two weeks ago, announced plans to document, train and reorientate the members of the local security operatives across the state for a more enlightened and ethically guided group of local operatives that will professionally carry out their duties, support the formal security structure, and by so doing, make Anambra safer, stronger, and more secure for all.
More photos from the training:
