The United States government has said it was partnering with the Nigerian Police Force to fully re-establish presence in the North East which has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Rosalyn Wiese, the director of the U.S. International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, INL, in Nigeria, made this known on Friday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, saying that the US government understands that there are many areas that were destroyed by Boko Haram and that many government buildings including police stations and barracks are still being rebuilt.
She applauded both the federal government and the State Governor Kashim Shettima, “for prioritizing reconstruction and increasing police presence in the areas that have been returned to government control.”
She also announced a donation of eight general purpose modular tents to the Nigerian Police in Maiduguri, stressing that “it is crucial that there be a successful transition to community-oriented policing, that focuses on working closely with all members of the community, to build trust, establish relationships, and improve communication.”
“Police officers will need to work with community leaders to provide a secure environment where citizens have access to all of the basic services to which they are entitled,” Wiese said.
She further pointed out that the US government is working with the police in the northeast to improve training and equipment.
She said: “As one part of this programme, we aim to ensure that human rights and gender sensitive training is provided to police elements who will be interacting with vulnerable populations.
“The U.S. Embassy looks forward to continuing to support the Nigeria Police Force as part of our mutual commitment to build the long-term institutional capacity of the Police and to support efforts to bring peace to all areas in Nigeria.”
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who was represented at the event by the Assistant Inspector General in charge of Zone 12, Yakubu Jibrin, thanked the US Government and promised that the tents will be judiciously put to use and well maintained.