Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Bello Yahaya, has reaffirmed his commitment to prioritising collaboration with civil society organisations to improve security in the state.
Yahaya made this disclosure on Tuesday when Gombe Network of Civil Society paid his an advocacy visit at the command’s headquarters.
He said, “Police and policing are just about the public. Any agent of the public in whatever guise and nomenclature is just a stakeholder. When you are talking about stakeholders in policing, there is no one you can think of except the civil society organisations.”
Yahaya assured the CSOs that his administration would build on existing collaborations, stating, “If there is any collaboration we have been having, just be assured that you will have more of it during my time now.”
The commissioner encouraged CSOs to take the lead in driving initiatives that promote trust, collaboration, and mutual respect between the police and the public. “We want trust from the public, and I believe you are good drivers, and you will help us. Whatever can promote this trust, collaboration between us, and mutual respect, please bring it to our attention.”
He noted that CSOs are closer to the people than the police, making them invaluable partners in improving security. “Our doors are open, we are here to serve people. Feel free to call me even at night, at midnight, call me. I will receive your call so that we can talk about how to improve security in the state.”
Yahaya also revealed plans to adopt strategies from AIG Austin Ewa, which he believes will help address the growing concern of underage boys being introduced to drugs and social vices. “Our criminals now are small and underaged boys… it’s a serious matter for us to deal with; if it’s not dealt with, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder.”
In response to concerns about nocturnal crimes, Yahaya explained that his administration has implemented a short-term measure to close down the state at midnight. “There is no sensible human being that will be moving about at midnight; we said everyone should go and sleep. Even if you are a criminal, go and sleep.”
While acknowledging that this measure has yielded some positive results, Yahaya conceded that criminals are adapting and finding new ways to operate. “Arrests we are making every night show that some people are under the influence of hard drugs and are teenagers, and some others are underaged.”
Speaking earlier, Chairman of GONET Ibrahim Yusuf, welcomed Yahaya, expressing gratitude for his commitment to ensuring peace, security, and stability.
“We welcome you to Gombe State, the Jewel in the Savannah, and express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering commitment to ensuring peace, security, and stability since your resumption as the CP,” Yusuf said.
The organisation commended the Commissioner’s leadership in tackling security challenges and maintaining law and order, saying Your leadership is commendable, and we stand ready to support these efforts for the benefit of our people.”
GONET emphasised that security is a shared responsibility, requiring strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, and communities. “By working together, we can bridge the gap between the police and the public, enhance trust, and create lasting solutions to security challenges,” he added.
To achieve this, GONET proposed several areas of collaboration, including strengthening community policing and public trust, protection of human rights, justice, and accountability, empowering youth to prevent crime and violence by launching youth mentorship and skill development programmes.
Others are the need to tackle gender-based violence and child protection strengthening the response mechanism for GBV cases and providing training for officers, Enhancing security for civic engagements.
GONET expressed its commitment to working with the Gombe State Police Command to actualise these objectives adding “We look forward to forging a dynamic and impactful partnership that will set a model for community-driven security in Nigeria.”
