By Blessing Odega
The CLEEN Foundation has organised a strategic citizens’ engagement forum in Plateau to strengthen police–community synergy, improve security and rebuild public trust.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CLEEN Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, is focused on promoting public safety, security, and access to justice.
Mr Peter Maduoma, Executive Director of the foundation, said on Wednesday in Jos at the two-day engagement that effective security depended largely on continuous dialogue between the police and the communities they served.
Maduoma, who was represented by Mr Ebere Mbaegbu, CLEEN Programme Officer, stated that the relationship between the police and the community remained the most fundamental pillar of public safety.
According to him, promoting structured and sustained police–community synergy was pivotal to advancing democratic policing and enhancing public safety across Nigeria.
He said the engagement was not an avenue to apportion blame but to proffer solutions.
“We are here to proffer solutions; we are here so that the voices of the most vulnerable are not drowned out of the conversation about their safety,” he said.
Maduoma urged the stakeholders to make the engagement different by moving beyond rhetoric and providing practical actionable steps.
In response, Plateau Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, reaffirmed the force’s commitment to strengthening synergy mechanisms and encouraging residents to share information and participate actively in community safety discussions.
Ewah, who was represented by ACP Matthew Chidawa, Area Commander, Bukuru Area Command, commended the NGO for organising the engagement.
The police commissioner said the engagement was a means of enhancing feedback mechanism.
Earlier, the traditional ruler of Jos South, Dr Nga Dangyang, who presented a charter of demand to the police, highlighted existing gaps in communication, noting that mistrust and limited interaction often weakened communication.
Dangyang, who was represented by Mr Jonathan Dangyang, Chief Scribe to the Dagwom Rwei, expressed the need for more structured engagement platforms where concerns can be discussed openly and solutions jointly developed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders at the engagement called for regular town hall meetings, improved feedback channels, and inclusive participation to sustain meaningful police–community engagement.
NAN further reports that the forum brought together officers of the Nigeria Police Force, community leaders, youth and women representatives, civil society organisations, and religious stakeholders to promote open communication and mutual understanding between law enforcement and citizens. NAN
