A former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tafa Balogun has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to work out constitutional roles for traditional rulers, to reduce crime in Nigeria.
Balogun gave the advice on Wednesday in Ibadan, during a Community Policing Sensitisation Awareness Campaign organised by the Police Command in Oyo State.
He said Nigeria needed to think aright and make use of traditional rulers, adding that the Queen of England had a role and not just sitting on the throne.
Balogun said that community policing was highly advantageous and needed the support of the community and traditional rulers for it to achieve its desired goals.
He said that other countries of the world such as Canada, Australia, among others focused on community policing to achieve results and not that they were magicians.
“We have seen it work in other countries of the world, it has helped them to reduce violence and crime.
“It can also thrive in Nigeria if the communities and the traditional rulers support and cooperate with the Nigeria Police in reducing crimes in the country.
“Community policing is a prevention, problem solving, intelligence driven, cost saving emboldening of modern policing and it capitalised on use of the brain.
“We must make use of the traditional rulers to reduce crimes to the barest minimum in this country,” Balogun said.
The retired IGP also noted with sadness the last EndSARS protests where police officers were murdered and stations burnt.
He urged officers to defend themselves from been killed but advised that they should not to kill anyone.
Balogun called on governments at all levels, community and traditional rulers to support the police in order to reduce crime.
The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, pledged the commitment of Gov. Seyi Makinde’s administration to security agencies, saying security remained one of the administration’s agenda.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, thanked Makinde for supporting the police with equipment and vehicles.
Also speaking, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Leye Oyebade, said community police would not take over the duty of the police but would support them and he called on stakeholders to join hands in actualisation of its objectives.
Traditional rulers, religious organisations and members of the public attended the ceremony. (NAN)
