Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 40,000 Community Police Constables across the federation as part of measures to strengthen community policing in the country.

Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said this in Enugu during the launch of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices, POCACOV, saying each of the 774 council areas in the country would have a minimum of 50 constables to strengthen security at the local levels.

Adamu said it would also involve engaging community-based organisations, groups and institutions to see that it works for the betterment of all.’’

He said the adoption of POCACOV as a national programme was in line with Federal Government’s community policing agenda, saying the idea of community policing was to involve all stakeholders in the onerous task of crime reduction in Nigeria.

Adamu said the police would sensitise members of the public to join the fight against crime and criminality at the community level, saying all Nigerians should key into the programme for the overall reduction of crime in all communities in the country.

He spoke through Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 9, Baba Tijini, saying they wanted to engage and work together with local citizens to easily identify security threats and proffer local solutions to them.

General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Abubakar Maikobi, who spoke on behalf of service chiefs in the state, assured the Inspector-General of Police of the continuous support of the security agencies.

Maikobi, represented by the 82 Division Garrison Commander, Brigadier-General Sylvester Oloyede, said the existing synergy among the security agencies in Enugu state and other parts of the country had continued to yield positive results.

“The I-G should be assured that he will get our unwavering support towards this campaign to ensure that it succeeds,’’ he said.

In a message, Team Leader, Nigeria Policing Programme, Kemi Okenyodo, said the launch of POCACOV was an illustration of the commitment of the police to fully adopt community policing as a strategy in the country.

Okenyodo described the joint identification of societal problems and cross-sectorial consultation to achieve local solutions to local problems as the key message from the event to all Nigerians.

Highlights of the event were the inauguration of the POCACOV ambassadors, comprising celebrities from the state, and POCACOV NYSC Community Development Service group.