The Imo State Police Command has stepped up efforts to strengthen security by deepening collaboration with communities and key stakeholders in a renewed push to tackle kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts and other criminal activities across the state.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a high-level security stakeholders’ meeting held in Owerri, where traditional rulers, community leaders, security agencies, religious leaders, youth and women groups, vigilante commanders, and representatives of the Hausa/Fulani community gathered to discuss emerging security threats and practical solutions.
Representing the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, the Area Commander of Ohaji/Egbema Area Command, ACP Emeka Ezeibe, said the command would continue to prioritise intelligence-led policing, proactive crime prevention and stronger community partnerships to protect lives and property across Imo State.
He urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information, stressing that criminal activities should never be linked to any ethnic or religious group. Instead, he said, security challenges can only be effectively addressed through collective vigilance and cooperation.
Discussions at the meeting focused on security concerns affecting Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Owerri West Local Government Areas. Participants highlighted issues including kidnapping, farmer-herder clashes, destruction of farmlands by grazing cattle and other threats to livelihoods and food security.
Stakeholders commended the efforts of security agencies in improving safety across the state but called for stronger cooperation between communities and law enforcement to sustain the progress already recorded. They agreed that herders should avoid cultivated farmlands and recommended the registration and profiling of herders operating within affected communities to improve accountability.
ACP Ezeibe announced the establishment of a committee comprising representatives from communities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area. The committee will work with security agencies to address concerns relating to herders, kidnapping and peaceful coexistence.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Northern Affairs, Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim, reaffirmed the commitment of the Hausa/Fulani community to peaceful coexistence. He assured stakeholders that law-abiding herders would neither harbour nor support criminal elements operating within the state.
The meeting ended with participants renewing their support for the Nigeria Police Force’s “See Something, Say Something” campaign, encouraging residents to report suspicious activities promptly to help security agencies prevent crime and maintain lasting peace across Imo State.
