Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A non-governmental organization, on the platform of Cleen Foundation has advocated for community-oriented policing to curb Serious Organized Crimes (SOCs) such as drugs, robbery, cultism amongst others.
The foundation said crime preventive model is a sureway of policing geared to divert individuals from joining organized crimes by providing them with alternative opportunities and positive lifestyle choices.
Programme manager of the group, Mrs. Chigozirim Okoro who disclosed this at a two-day crime preventive steering group in Benin City, Edo State, said the project is in partnership with Torchlight group, United Kingdom.
Mrs. Okoro stated that “prevent” is part of a community-oriented policing strategy being practiced in UK and currently piloted in Edo, Lagos, Bayelsa and Zamfara States in Nigeria to curb the prevalence of Serious Organized Crimes.
According to her, “Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is critical to the coordination of this multi-partner activity as the project aims to contribute to NPF systems, processes and skills.
“And our overrall goal is to prevent more people from joining serious organized crime groups in Edo State and Nigeria at large”.
Representative of the police, ASP. Jennifer Iweagbu disclosed that cultism is predominantly SOCs in Edo State and pointed out that the police has intensified efforts to stem the tide.
She said: “they (cultists) are organized by dividing responsibilities when planing or commiting hineous crimes and tend to be loyal to the secrecy they have sworn to”.