By Akpan David, Calabar
The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, has reiterated the urgent need for the establishment of community and state policing as a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.
The monarch made this position known through the Chairman of the Obong of Calabar Executive Forum (OCEF), Chief Gershom Henshaw, MFR, while assuring the public—particularly intending participants in the ongoing week-long Utomo Obong Festival—that adequate security arrangements have been put in place to guarantee their safety and comfort during and after the festivities, as well as the annual Calabar Carnival.
According to Henshaw, the Obong is a strong advocate of decentralised policing and is actively involved in local policing initiatives.
“The Obong of Calabar strongly supports community and state policing. In fact, he is a signatory to local policing initiatives.
“When policing is decentralised, it becomes more effective at the grassroots. The local people know one another, making crime detection and prevention easier. We need state and community police in Nigeria,” he said.
Henshaw further advocated for the empowerment of traditional rulers to play a leading role in community policing, noting that they possess in-depth knowledge of their communities.
“Traditional rulers understand the grassroots better than anyone else and should be empowered to drive community policing,” he added.
He explained that the Obong’s consistent advocacy for peace and security informed the theme of this year’s Utomo Obong celebration.
“The Obong is deeply committed to peaceful and safe communities. That is why he is at the forefront of this campaign, and why the theme of this year’s Utomo Obong Festival is Peace,” Henshaw said.
It will be recalled that in response to rising insecurity across the country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently made public assurances and issued directives on the establishment of state police, as well as the arming of state security agencies, including forest guards, as part of broader measures to tackle the security crisis.
In a national address declaring a nationwide security emergency, the President called on the National Assembly to begin the review of relevant laws to enable states that so desire to establish their own police forces.
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