Abuja:Dr. Esther Okereke, the Presidential Candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), has emphasized the importance of community policing and state police as critical solutions to Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Okereke highlighted these points during her appearance on the NAN personality interview series. She urged the Federal Government to reconsider the nation’s security framework and invest in localized defense strategies to protect lives and property.
Okereke argued that local security personnel are best suited to protect their communities due to their deep understanding of the local terrains. She believes that empowering grassroots-level forces would enhance intelligence gathering and enable swift response mechanisms.
Okereke stressed the significance of equipping community vigilance groups, forest guards, and hunters, as they have intimate knowledge of their environments. She likened local crime to insider sabotage, suggesting that community policing can effectively address such issues by identifying and dealing with local collaborators.
Addressing concerns about potential abuse of power by state governors, Okereke advocated for the establishment of state police with structural checks and balances. She emphasized the importance of a strict chain of command and clear jurisdictional boundaries to prevent political overreach in a decentralized policing system.