The Gombe State Coordinator of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism, Haruna Albarka, has called for enhanced collaboration between civil society and law enforcement agencies in the fight against violent extremism in the state.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that he made the call during an advocacy visit to the Commissioner of Police, Bello Yahaya, urging for a more coordinated and community-centered approach to preventing extremism.
The advocacy visit promoted by Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund had the support of ActionAid.
Albarka emphasised that promoting human rights-based policing and strengthening trust between communities and law enforcement are essential to addressing the root causes of extremism. He noted that improved intelligence-sharing and training for officers on preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) would significantly enhance the state’s capacity to respond to emerging threats.
“We are here to deepen cooperation with the police to promote a human rights-based approach to policing in the context of PCVE,” Albarka stated. “By enhancing communication and intelligence-sharing between communities and security agencies, we can jointly address the root causes and threats of violent extremism.”
PAVE, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on October 18, 2018 (CAC/IT/NO 119408), was founded to strengthen coordination among civil society organisations, government agencies, community actors, and other stakeholders working to prevent violent extremism in Nigeria. However, the idea of PAVE predates its official registration. In 2014, the Office of the National Security Adviser convened a meeting with a select group of civil society organisations focused on countering violent extremism. That gathering, supported by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, and the Human Security Collective, marked the beginning of what would become PAVE. At a subsequent meeting on December 1, 2014, the name “Partnership Against Violent Extremism” was formally adopted.
In Gombe State, PAVE has identified and works with five local organisations actively implementing PCVE programmes. These groups focus on peacebuilding, development, sustainability, community engagement, and public health. Albarka noted that these organizations play a vital role in building resilience at the grassroots level and ensuring that vulnerable populations are not exploited by extremist ideologies.
The advocacy visit, according to Albarka, aims to foster a shared understanding of the need for inclusive, preventive security strategies. He highlighted the critical importance of law enforcement agencies receiving continuous training on PCVE strategies and engaging meaningfully with the communities they serve.
“Our goal is to improve trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” he said. “This is fundamental to both preventing extremism and ensuring community safety.”
He commended the Gombe State Police Command for its ongoing efforts to safeguard the lives and properties of residents and expressed optimism that under its leadership, the state could become a national model for collaborative and community-based responses to violent extremism.
“As a respected leader with the authority to influence security policy and implementation, we seek your support,” he said. “We are confident that under your able leadership, Gombe can set the pace for meaningful, community-driven security initiatives in Nigeria.”
Albarka concluded the visit by presenting documents and thanking Yahaya while reaffirming PAVE’s readiness to support joint efforts to enhance the safety, resilience, and well-being of all residents of Gombe State.
In their separate remarks, Halima Mahdi, Idris Lawanti and Zainab Akawu, lauded the command for protecting lives and property in the state, calling for more concerted efforts towards nipping in the board other crimes and criminalities.
Mahdi emphasised on the importance of education, saying that many of the perpetrators of crime were out-of-school.
Lawanti harped on the need for due diligence and concerted efforts by authorities and relevant stakeholders.
Akawu lamented the impact of broken homes, noting that many destinies have been altered.
On his part, CP Yahaya lauded the membership of the organisation noting that it was carefully selected to achieve the core mandate.
“I’m so happy that our mothers are here; this is because they understand the home front more than anyone else.
“We have teenagers in our cells who are involved in violent crimes and it’s a serious issue because it can degenerate to violent extremism,” he said.
While decrying the situation, Yahaya expressed optimism to collaborate with PAVE adding, “We have a great job to do; some of the things happening are associated with drugs and we can’t fight this alone. Our doors are wide open for collaboration towards tackling this, we are always ready to partner.”
Yahaya assured the PAVE team that management staff and officers would receive the needed communication on the meeting for full incorporation.
Recall that Gombe PAVE had conducted similar advocacy visits to Correctional Service, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mai Kaltungo palace, where officials expressed optimism to collaborate towards curbing violent extremism in the state.
