‘Police media outfits to tackle herdsmen, farmers clashes, others’

• Ooni, Eckankar proffer solution to menace
• Coalition tasks Buhari, S’East leaders on insecurity

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris has expressed optimism that newly launched Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service (NPBS) would tackle herdsmen/farmers clashes and other criminal activities nationwide.The hope comes as he inaugurated a 16-man board for the radio station in Abuja to kick-start its operations.Idris said: “We will tackle security challenges such as terrorism, oil bunkering, ethnic tension, herders/farmers clashes through the use of our radio and television networks.

The IGP clarified that the NPBS was not established for money-making, but to advance the work of the force in line with Section 4 of the Police Act.The primary focus of the media outfits, according to Idris, was to boost effective policing of the nation through clear communications and robust interactions with Nigerians to allow for provision of useful and timely information to assist the police and security agencies do their work better.

The organisations include NPBS Television, NPBS Radio, NPBS Online and NPBS Emergency Command and Control Communication Centre.Commenting, the Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer of NPBS, Edirin Wesley, noted that the absence of an information outfit had contributed to the low successes recorded by the police in tackling crimes across the federation.

He stated policing in the 21st Century requires the dynamic use of information and communication technology, saying the entire globe had gone digital, and Nigeria as the giant of Africa, could not afford to be left behind.

Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Spiritual Regional Head of Eckankar (ECK) in Nigeria, Ifeat Areh Resa, have said the frequent clashes between farmers and nomads could become a thing of the past.

They submitted that the nation would experience peace, stability and progress if the different ethnic nationalities could see one another as essential partners in resolving the challenges besetting Nigeria.The pair made their position known in Ife when Resa led other members of his association on a courtesy visit to the monarch in Ile-Ife as part of their missionary outreach.

However, a coalition of South East-based human rights and good governance organisations (SBCHROs), led by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to put an end to the insecurity in the land.

They also charged governors in the zone to prioritise good governance and adopt “proactive and effective measures to strengthen the internal and external security of the zone, especially in view of the well-oiled and coordinated widespread violent attacks against Christian populations and churches by suspected herdsmen.”The organisations made their position known during an interactive session with newsmen presided over by the Chairman, Board of Directors of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, in Onitsha yesterday.