Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on Friday, inaugurated 272 Special Constabulary police.
The police constables were recently recruited and trained at the Oji River Police College, Oji River , for Community Policing in the state.
Performing the inauguration at the Government House, Enugu, Ugwuanyi said that 16 police constables were recruited from each of the 17 local government areas of the state.
He added that they were drawn from the existing Neighborhood Watch Associations and Forest Guards.
Ugwuanyi said that the Special Constables will be deployed to their various wards and local government areas to assist the extant security apparatus in gathering and sharing of intelligence with the security agencies as well as liaising between their communities and the Police.
He said: “Our rejigged and re-tooled Enugu State Security Architecture will facilitate their new role”,
He congratulated the leadership and members of the State Community Policong Advisory Council, SCPAC, , saddled with the responsibilities of overseeing and coordinating the implementation of Community Policing in the state. He also commended them for the self-evident progress they have recorded.
The governor said that the state government will continue to provide the necessary support for Community Policing in the state “in furtherance of its unflinching commitment to the protection of lives and property of all law-abiding residents in Enugu State”.
He urged residents of the state to avail themselves of the opportunity created by the inauguration of the Special Constables and coorporate with the newly inaugurated security outfit.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of SCPAC and Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, CP Mohammed Ndasu Aliyu, said that the inauguration was a remarkable feat in the implementation of Community Policing practice in Enugu State.
The commissioner of police commended Governor Ugwuanyi for pioneering and making the new Community Policing Model initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, a reality in Enugu state.
The CP charged the Community Policing Officers (CPOs) to discharge their duties professionally and abide by the stipulated guidelines in their duties of information/intelligence-gathering and apprehending of criminals and other law offenders in their various localities.
The CP added that the Special police Constabulary are to, under the supervision of the Divisional Community Policing Committees, detect crimes, settle low-level civil disputes and petty crimes, complement the conventional Police in the patrol of the public spaces within their local communities, sensitize the public on crime prevention and security tips,
He added that the Special Constables are to equally “work with the community, schools and young people, business communities, religious bodies, cultural groups, Community-based Associations, recreational centres and hospitality businesses towards crime control, and assist in traffic management and school safety duties”.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman and Co-chairman of the Enugu State Community Policing Committee (SCPC), DCP Fred Ekokotu and HRH Igwe (Dr.) Emma Ugwu, applauded Governor Ugwuanyi for his consistent support and commitment to security issues in the state, stressing that the 272 trained Special Constables are combatants ready to assist the state, their communities and the general public to combat crimes with the Police.
Dignitaries that witnessed the event were the former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Prof. Malachy Okwueze, the State Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Edeh, the Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, HRH Igwe Ambassador Lawrence Agubuzu, Leader of the Hausa community, Sarkin Hausawa Enugu State, HRH Sarki Abubakar Yusuf Sambo, and the local government Chairmen.
