NAN-DS-8
Security
By Muhyideen Jimoh
Abuja, May 18, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen mechanism for community policing as part of efforts to ensure adequate internal security in the country.
The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau made the pledge when he received the Royal College of Defence Studies Tour team, on a study tour of West Africa.
The Director of Press in the Ministry, Mr Willie Bassey disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
“Part of the master plan for boosting the internal security architecture of the country includes the establishment of good communication and community policing,’’ he said.
The minister said that the Federal Government was working round the clock to ensure capacity-building for the Police and the establishment of a Multi-Agency Situation Room.
According to him, the Situation Room is aimed at integrating the various security Services in a common purpose of monitoring and providing information on activities in the cities.
Dambazau informed the tour team that the ministry, saddled with the mandate of maintaining public safety and internal security, had been involved in post-conflict peace-building in the North-East.
He said that the ministry was also working with relevant stakeholders to curtail other security threats such as the proliferation of small arms and light weapon, Niger Delta militancy and migration challenges.
Dambazau disclosed that in dealing with security challenges, Nigeria had also signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and Agreements with the United Kingdom in areas such as irregular migration, prisoner transfer and capacity building.
Earlier, the leader of the Royal College of Defence Studies Overseas Study, Maj. Gen. Craig Lawrence said they were on tour of West Africa and in Nigeria to gain insight on how Nigeria had been dealing with its security challenges.
Lawrence commended the minister for receiving them and providing them with a detailed brief on the workings of the Ministry of Interior, which he promised would be incorporated into their report. (NAN)
MUYI/EEE
========
Edited by Ese E. Ekama