Senate vows support for police reforms, urges shift toward community-centred policing

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting meaningful reforms aimed at repositioning the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as a trusted institution of public service.

Speaking on Monday at the Police Service Commission (PSC) Board Induction and Strategic Management Session in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Jibrin, who represented Senate President Godswill Akpabio, called for a new era of accountability and transformation within the force.

In a statement later posted on X, Jibrin conveyed Akpabio’s congratulations to the newly inaugurated PSC board members, describing their appointments as “a call to purpose, a mandate to reform, and a sacred trust to serve.”

“You have been summoned to a duty as weighty as it is historic,” Jibrin said. “I urge you: Leave a mark. Leave a legacy. Leave the system better than you met it.”

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The deputy senate president emphasised that the moment demands more than ceremony. He urged the board to move “from titles into tasks” and “from routine into reform,” reflecting deeply on their mandate beyond the formality of induction.

According to Jibrin, the Nigeria Police must evolve from being perceived merely as an arm of coercion to becoming an engine of trust, justice, and community service.

“Nigeria stands at a threshold. The police must now be seen as protectors, not predators,” he said.

Calling for a shift in policing philosophy, Jibrin encouraged the PSC to study community policing models from countries like Japan and Finland, where empathy, conflict resolution, and neighbourhood engagement are prioritised. He also pointed to Singapore’s policing success, built on stringent recruitment standards, transparent promotions, and strict accountability, as a model Nigeria could learn from.

“In Nigeria, we must institutionalise merit over mediocrity, discipline over favoritism, and integrity over impunity,” Jibrin declared.

Recognising the moral courage often required in policing, he advocated for a reward system that honours officers who uphold integrity in difficult circumstances.

“The policeman who refuses a bribe may return home empty-handed today, but he must not return without hope—hope that in the end, integrity shall yield a reward far greater than the fleeting spoils of corruption,” he said. “We must elevate the culture of commendation above the culture of condemnation.”

Jibrin also highlighted the need for a technology-driven police force that uses data and intelligence to inform its operations, promising that the National Assembly would support this transformation through legislative reviews, approvals of necessary reforms, and strengthened oversight.

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