Recruitment Of Constables Not To Counter Amoteku, Says Lagos CP

LUCKY LAWAL

The Lagos State Police Command held a security meeting with community leaders, the Obas, title chiefs, Local Government Chairmen and other stakeholders to sensitize them about the concept of special constables that will be recruited into the Police from the community.

The meeting was held at POWA Event Centre, GRA, Ikeja, on Wednesday 29th January, 2020.
According to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, the meeting was held as a sensitization step in order to actualize the Federal Government’s decision to bring community policing on board.
He said the decision of the Federal Government was not going to counter the concept generated by the establishment of Amotekun security outfit by the South-West Governors, which is yet to settle.
According to him, the authority of the Nigeria Police is kick starting the recruitment of special constables, referred to as constabulary, to boost its workforce, enhance security of each community since they will be recruited from the very same community they come from.
Consequently, the Lagos State Command has set up its screening committee made up of community leaders and the Divisional Police Officers across the state.

He hinted that the recruitment exercise was a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to be implemented by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
The CP also made known that the constabulary would be assigned all Police duties.

The Police Commissioner stressed that the recruits will serve as the eyes of both the community and the Police, since they will be recruited and serve in their domiciled communities.
Odumosu also said such operatives would not be transferred outside his or her community, unlike the conventional Policeman.
According to him, they will be selected and screened by a committee that would comprise of Local Government Council, Baales, the CDA and Divisional Police Officers, in order to ensure criminals are not recruited.

His words, “The recruitment of the Police constabulary is a practicality of the community policing and the stakeholders meeting is to sensitize them on the actualization of its policy”.

He also said that the constabulary is different from Spy Police since they would be assigned the roles and responsibility of a core Police duty. They will serve as the eye of the Police in the community and also as the eye of the community in the Police since they would be recruited from their immediate community and recommended by their community leaders and local government chairman. This he said will help in the reduction of crime since they also live in the community and knows everyone in the community.
Odumosu concluded that the recruitment modality would be base on section 49 and 50 of the Police Act.