The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged stronger community policing as a lasting solution to Nigeria’s insecurity, insisting that security agencies must partner closely with local residents.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Arewa Awareness Summit on Unity Against Insecurity in Kaduna, the monarch, represented by the Chiroman Kano, Alhaji Adamu Lamido Sanusi, said lasting peace is only possible when communities play an active role in security efforts.
“I personally believe in community policing. To fight crime, we have to work with the people,” he said.
The Sultan noted that residents, especially young people, understand their neighbourhoods better than outsiders and should be more involved in gathering intelligence and preventing crime. He explained that he regularly collaborates with imams, religious leaders, youth groups and other stakeholders to promote peace in his domain.
“The people in the community, especially the youth, are already in the community. They know the community and the areas better than anyone else,” he said.
Closer cooperation between communities and security agencies, he added, would strengthen the fight against banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.
“So, this cooperation, this working together hand in hand, is highly important in fighting crime in our communities and in the country,” he affirmed.
The Sultan also praised the organisers of the summit as a useful platform for sharing ideas and building partnerships against insecurity.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Arewa for Peace, Unity, Cohesion and Development Initiative, Dr Abdullahi Idris, said the meeting was convened to develop practical solutions to insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
