GLOBAL TERRORISM: WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF IICOPOL?
BY SANI MOHAMMED

When on the May 29,2015 the President Mohammed Buhari assumed power as a democratically elected government, he was quick and sensitive to provide strategic and categorical statements on the issues like Boko Haram terrorism, kidnap, state corruption. These issues partly represented the national challenges upon which the PDP government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was sacked. Notably, the terrorist activities were depriving the rights to life, dignity and movement of the people in the country. In affirming the seriousness of his commitment to ending the fiendish horror and orgiastic savagery by the psychobandit terrorists, he declared that his government would route out the outlaws and constitute a sociological panel of inquiry into the origin of Book Haram. In perspective, while we still waiting for that to be carried out, opinions of public analysts have suggested a forerunner sequence of activities that escalated the BH debacle and its mysterious sophistication. For instance, the extra-judicial Killing of the spiritual leader of the sect Mohammed Yusuf by the Police, was enough for many issues to emerge and the sect became aggrieved and assume one of the deadliest terror groups in the world.

Hence, in the wake of discussions at various security retreats in Nigeria, Mr. president shared the belief that the lack of trust between the police and the general is responsible for our security gaps.

Consequently, closing such gaps is the boulevard to our needed level of security for the people. This means that security has to the obligations of citizenry and the state (through Police), in an interactive and participatory manner. In the light of scholarly findings, this is an ideal notion of community Policing world over.

Whereas in 2011, Dr. Aminu Musa Audu left the shores of this country to the University of Liverpool UK for his PhD studies. He gained this opportunity through the sponsorship of TETFUND scholarship to research on Community Policing, and he was able to accomplish his studies with a path-breaking thesis which offers new insights into why community Policing program has not succeeded in Nigeria, as funded by the UK-DFID. That was his case study. The available evidences have indicated that his empirical research findings received great acclaim and found to be of universal applications. In the context of his study, all existing strategies in community Policing worldwide are recommended for reviews, on the basis of newest research orientation. As contained in his Final PhD Report, part of the recommendations of the research, is that further research be commissioned based on the PhD thesis, then forming the intellectual basis upon which Dr. Aminu Musa Audu founded the International Institute of Community Policing (IICOPOL Idah, Kogi State of Nigeria), on the basis of three ethics: Research, Trainings and Advocacy.

As it stands now, with IICOPOL, Nigeria will be the world headquarters of community Policing, as this is the first institute in the world. Does this signify a welcome to a new dawn of community Policing on the scholarly thoughts of Dr. Aminu Musa Audu, a welcome to the age of IICOPOL?

A close interaction with the founder suggests that it is a multi-centered institute to be in Idah Kogi State of Nigeria, having branches in Abuja and the United Kingdom. IICOPOL will achieve her mandates through innovative research, seminars, workshops, symposia, colloquia, international conferences, collaborations, joint working groups and establishment of postgraduate universities. It will encourage tourism as Nigeria will derive huge revenues from visa applications, increase spendable incomes in the economy of host community through commercial patronage; retrains our security agents and incorporations; create jobs for youths and members of the academia.

There can be no better time to have such a breakthrough coming from a citizen of a nation, which is under the siege of armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, Boko Haram terrorism, alleged gross violations of rights of citizens by police elite arm called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which has lost focus, supposedly free police bail that is not free, human trafficking, domestic violence like starvation, child right abuse and spousal battering among others. The alleged menace of Fulani herdsmen and the alleged stealing of cattle that result in running battles between host communities and nomadic and pastoralist herdsmen is an issue that required urgent sociological attention. It is on record that our communities and the herdsmen had been coexisting up to 2011 before the explosion of suspicious behavior and inexplicable atrocities of those involved. This has created fear in the minds of the parties. As such, the neutrality of government and the security agencies are doubtful to the people. In the context of this reality, verily one would be forced to conclude that IICOPOL has become a child of necessity born into the midst of crisis to be an elixir.

The host state Governor of IICOPOL, Governor Yahaya Bello has given an impression that his government has keyed into doctrine of community policing and invested so much resources in police logistics and encouraged partnership of local vigilante groups, earning his administration the security award of the Inspector General of Police. No doubt, his ability to host a globally focused IICOPOL, especially at pioneering stage, is seen by various camps of opinion molders and stakeholders as a great test of strength of governance at the confluence region of the African most populous country. The IICOPOL Idah leadership structure that has Professor Femi Odekunle, a foremost professor of sociological criminology formerly of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and a member of the Presidential Advisory committee on Anti- corruption as the Chair of the IICOPOL Board of Trustees; Professor Alice Hills, a British academic of repute and Professor of Conflict and Security studies at Leeds and Durham Universities UK; currently involved in the Project Horizon 2020,communiy policing research project in the Horn of Africa – Kenya and Somalia -funded by the European Union as the Chair of the IICOPOL Advisory Board and Dr. Aminu Musa Audu as the Director General of the institute suggests that the world is in for a treat of sacrifice, competence and impactful -and never-before seen business of community policing services of the institute.

The recent declaration by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo signaled a climate of new dawn for Nigeria, which the IICOPOL founder, Dr. Aminu Musa Audu foresaw as early as 2011 to embark on the research at expense of the Federal Government sponsorship. The approval of his scholarship has yielded a desired fruit in IICOPOL which the government must identify as part of her own successes. Providence and committed efforts by the Buhari government has left for us three tools to achieving a better secured society through community policing namely, 1.the whistles blower policy 2. vast police and public resources 3.the private complimentary: IICOPOL and the Nigerian public.

Therefore, I’m convinced to suggest that the cooperation and support of security agencies, Inspector General of Police, Director General of Department of State Services, Chiefs of Army, Naval and Air Staff, political leaders and the public is envisaged for this noble project.

Sani Mohammed, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, SDI Nigeria; and the UN Grassroot Leader of the Habitat #Habitat 3 Ecuador 2016.Email:samoopenskyworld@yahoo.co.uk