Lagos State Command of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria has organised a one-day seminar on effective community policing at Ikeja with the aim of further strengthening the security machinery in the state.

The seminar on effective community policing on was in furtherance of the need to ensure adequate security in Lagos, the economic nerve centre of the country.

Adequate security remains very vital to the socio-economic development of any people and society and community policing has come to be recognised as the very vital aspect of security and is being given adequate attention as paramount in the security machinery of any state.

The summit with the theme, ‘Effective community policing’ was put together by the Lagos State Command of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria with the aim of developing a genuine partnership in support of community policing on waterways by engaging citizens in check-mating various criminal activities in Lagos State.

Speaking at the seminar, Lagos State Commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Otunba James Udoma said as part of activities to reduce crime to the barest minimum in the State, residents in the riverine areas should cooperate with the security operatives, particularly, the Nigerian police, by constantly supplying pertinent information, as a way of enhancing crime surveillance.

Udoma said one of the fundamental handicaps in pursuing criminal cases is the dearth of information gathering, following the arrest of suspects who are awaiting prosecution.

The security boss, therefore, solicited for partnership between the vigilante group and members of the public emphasising that even in the area of traditional security approach issues of information gathering, reporting to the police cannot be compromised for reasons of promoting professional integrity and securing life and property.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Effective policing in Lagos State’, Deputy State Commander, Emmanuel Ayisere recounted a number of security challenges in the recent past in Lagos State.

According to him, “for instance, some time ago at Olaofein in Magbon community, Ikorodu, many landlords who constituted themselves into vigilante group were shot and killed by people numbering about 50, as claimed by residents.”

He also said high profile bank robbery incidents in Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac Town and Agbara respectively were all launched through the water ways.

While regretting that a traditional ruler of Iba town, Oba Yisau Goriola was kidnapped from his palace and the kidnappers escaped through the creeks behind his palace, he said several other attacks, which included kidnapping and robbery at Igando also took place with casualties and the gunmen escaped through the water ways.

He also reminded of another occurrence which took place in Epe where pupils and teachers were kidnapped and the criminals escaped through the canal.

Guest lecturer at the occasion who is also the Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee, Alimosho area, Micheal Taiwo said knowledge of the locality and the different terrain involved was paramount in conventional policing to serve the communities better and effectively, saying community policing involves genuine human relations, professional orientation and a better understanding of the people in the domiciled area.

While cautioning members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria not to see themselves as an agent of destruction in the course of carrying out their legitimate functions, Taiwo told the participants at the occasion to beware of manufacturing of evidence as information provided by informants.

In his contribution, a Marine expert, Akin Obe said occurrences of kidnapping and killing in the riverine areas in Lagos in recent times can be controlled when authorities of the Lagos state government collaborate with the grassroots in the area of information, intelligence gathering and reporting to assist the law enforcement agencies in tackling crimes.

The conference also discussed no fewer than one hundred and fifty cases of treated criminal occurrences in the last six months in different communities, particularly the riverine areas in Lagos State.

The participants left the seminar better informed and equipped to carry out their functions and duties as vigilantes/community police.