Solomon Arase, Chairman of the Police Service Commission, has acknowledged that both the commission and the Nigeria Police Force are currently facing significant challenges in their operations.
Gatekeepers News reports that Arase revealed this during a meeting with a delegation from the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria, at the corporate headquarters of the commission in Jabi, Abuja.
Arase highlighted that crime has evolved to become highly scientific on a global scale, necessitating a scientific approach from law enforcement agencies.
Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations, quoted Arase in a statement on Sunday that oversight responsibilities have become vast and challenging.
“The PSC Chairman mentioned cyberbullying, criminal financial/banking attacks, and other complex crimes threatening various sectors of the nation’s fledgling democracy,” the statement said.
According to him, crime across the world has become highly scientific, requiring those involved in combating it (the police) to adopt a scientific approach. He noted that addressing these challenges requires proper equipment and training.
He added that both the Police and the Commission need to quickly step up to contain these emerging challenges. He added that these two government agencies should also be properly equipped and trained to successfully carry out their constitutional mandates.
He insisted that policing should be more visible at the local level, especially at the Divisional centers that have unfortunately been abandoned, creating a lot of ungoverned spaces where non-state actors have taken over.
He emphasised the need for continuous recruitment of policemen to populate the communities and regain control over the ungoverned spaces to restore security of lives and properties across the nation.
Arase said the commission will partner with the Institute to combat the menace of the emerging financial and other crimes in the country.
He added that he advocates outsourcing skills that are lacking in a system. He promised that officials of the Institute would be used as resource persons at Police Colleges, exposing trainees to cybercrime and other complex crime prevention at that level.
Dr. Iliaysu Buba Gashinbaki, the Pioneer President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute, commended Arase for his exceptional work at the Commission and expressed the Institute’s readiness to work together on various aspects, including police recruitment, promotion, discipline, and investigation.
