… Urges stronger community engagement, respect for human rights

Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Finance and Administration, Yahaya Sahabo Abubakar, has called on officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to fully embrace community-oriented policing, describing it as the surest route to lasting peace and security in the country.

DIG Abubakar made the appeal in his valedictory message on Sunday, just ahead of his bowing out of the Force today (Monday, September 15, 2025), after 33 years of service.

Sharing lessons from his career, the senior officer stressed that sustainable security could not be achieved by force alone.

“Building symbiotic relationships with communities, leveraging local intelligence, and solving problems collectively is the approach that will address causes of crime and the fear of crime in our communities,” he said.

He urged the police hierarchy to regard community policing not merely as a programme but as a fundamental philosophy that must be entrenched across all levels of the Force.

Paying tribute to successive Inspectors-General of Police under whom he served, Abubakar emphasized that public trust and confidence in the Force would only be earned when officers uphold human rights, respect for the rule of law, and the principle that “the police are the public, and the public are the police.”

The retiring DIG also called for sustained investment in modern policing tools, regular training and retraining of personnel, better welfare for frontline officers, and stronger inter-agency collaboration.

He pledged to remain a “proud ambassador” of the Nigeria Police in his retirement.

“As I bow out with my head held high, I am confident that the abundant young talents within the ranks, coupled with the current leadership of the Force, will steer the Nigeria Police through both present and future challenges. I may be retiring from active service, but my spirit will always remain with the Force,” Abubakar declared. (The Nation)