THE Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, has called for stronger collaboration with the media to tackle insecurity, drug abuse, cultism and other forms of criminality in the state.
Adewale made the call on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa Council Secretariat, Azikoro Road, Yenagoa.
He said effective communication remained critical to the success of any system, describing the media as a major partner in reaching the wider society.
The CP said the Police would build on the existing synergy with the media to strengthen security operations and improve information gathering and dissemination.
“Security is generally a shared responsibility. If there is information somewhere, pass it to the right agency so that it can act on it and prevent a bad situation.
“The Police, despite their numerical strength, cannot be everywhere. But with the press, we can have eyes watching on our behalf,” he said.
Adewale also stressed the importance of inter-agency and community collaboration in security operations, saying effective information sharing was crucial to achieving positive results.
He recalled the abduction of a woman on July 28, saying the command activated relevant security agencies immediately after his assumption of duty to facilitate her rescue.
“We got reliable intelligence and were able to move our team to the scene where the woman was rescued,” he said.
The commissioner said greater engagement with youths would help address insecurity, particularly issues relating to drug abuse, cultism and other forms of criminality.
He urged stakeholders to support programmes that would provide youths with productive opportunities and discourage them from engaging in crime.
Earlier, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, Chairman of the NUJ, Bayelsa Council, described the media as a strong partner in security operations and information dissemination across the country.
Yemoleigha said journalists, as field workers, were constantly in contact with people and developments in society, making their relationship with security agencies important.
“Our focal area is the relationship between journalists and the Police in the field. We need to work in synergy because we are co-travellers in the Nigerian project.
“Our responsibilities are intertwined, and we have a collective responsibility to serve Nigeria together,” he said.
The NUJ chairman urged the new CP to sustain ongoing police reforms and improve personnel training and public relations in the command.
He called for an aggressive campaign against drug abuse and cultism in Bayelsa, particularly to protect the future of youths in the state.
Yemoleigha also appealed to philanthropists, companies and other organisations to invest in skills acquisition and empowerment programmes for youths.
“The government cannot provide all the necessary employment opportunities for the entire population. Companies and philanthropists therefore need to equip our youths to become productive and live meaningful lives,” he said.
He assured the Police of the media’s readiness to sustain collaboration with the command, describing the relationship as essential to promoting peace and security in the state.
