Officers and men of the Zone two police command, comprising Lagos, Ogun States have been urged to return to policing the communities in the said states.

They were asked to put the past behind them in the spirit of nationhood and assiduously work to correct the negative perception about police officers and policing.

According to Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu in charge of Zone two Command Headquarters, policemen must have a change of attitude to duty and put the people as the centre point of policing.

He gave the advice during a motivational workshop and community policing for quality service delivery.

Iliyasu emphasised that Policing strategy should be people centre, satisfactory to the people and good enough to remove the fear and uncertainty in the mind of the people anytime they have contact with the police.

The workshop organised in tandem with the community policing intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, AIG Illyasu noted that Policing can be done in a manner that does the least harms and even prevent violence.

He noted that the streets should not be deserted by the security agents, expressing that Police must be available and respond to call or request for assistance regardless of status or background, ensure accessibility and high Police visibility.

Delivering a paper titled #EndSARS Mass Action And The Governance Of Internal Security In Lagos, Security Expert, Ona Ekhomu identified that wanton destruction and looting in the aftermath of the protest was not targeted at the police agency but based on the obvious fact that the attack were specifically on the Federal Government.

According to him, the hoodlums attacked the Police as an observable and exploitable arm of government.

Ekhomu said the police only bore the brunt of governance issues ranging from the poor remuneration of police, the unemployment of youths, the hunger in the land, the poverty, the anger, the inequality which are not under the control of the police agency.

In his words, it was convenient for the hoodlums to attack the police as the nearest representative of government, saying when people are angry, they lash out at anything close by their wives, their children, their drivers, their workers, their dogs anything, it is a psychological compensational mechanism after which they feel better.

He pleaded with police personnel to go back to work to make communities safe, as it said that without security nothing works.

The Security Expert who is the National President of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators 0f Nigeria, AISSON, acknowledged the various state governments overtures to assist families of fallen or injured colleagues.

He reminded all stakeholders that politicians will not give the police what it deserves, but what it lobbies for, saying the community holds the key to effectively speaking out for the police.

He commended the AIG’s dedication to public service, zeal to serve his community and the Nigerian nation, and also conferred on the AIG the honour of being a Fellow of AISSON.

One of the brains behind the workshop, Matthew Ibadin said the workshop has given the police officers a reason to smile again and police the states.

He noted that given the rights incentives especially with regards to their welfare package, equipment and all that is commensurate with policing in advance countries, like Canada, the Police Force will keep lives and properties safe.