The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has described community policing as the most effective strategy for tackling insecurity, urging police commands across the country to strengthen collaboration with local communities.
The IGP stated this on Monday in Lokoja during a Security Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting held at the Kogi State Police Command Headquarters as part of his operational assessment and strategic engagement visit to the state. Represented by the Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police for the North-Central Zone, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, the IGP said security remains a collective responsibility.

“It is only through collective commitment and cooperation that we can effectively address contemporary security threats and build safer communities for all,” he said.

He added that police authorities had been directed to fully embrace community policing to curb banditry and other criminal activities.

Earlier, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, said the visit provided an opportunity to review the state’s security architecture, strengthen operational strategies and deepen collaboration with stakeholders.

He noted that Kogi’s strategic location as the gateway between northern and southern Nigeria presents unique security challenges that require sustained cooperation among security agencies, traditional rulers, government institutions and residents.

Kankarofi said the meeting was aimed at fostering dialogue on security concerns, enhancing intelligence gathering and exploring practical solutions to crime prevention and public safety.

Participants included traditional rulers, members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), youth groups, civil society organisations and NGOs.