A German Non-Governmental Organisation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has trained personnel of security agencies on conflict resolution as part of reforms of the justice sector in Nigeria.
The KAS Senior Program Manager, Security Sector Reform, Mrs Julcit Stolpe, made the disclosure on Sunday, in Kano, at the closing ceremony of the six-day workshop with the theme: ”Promoting inter-agency collaboration on conflict resolution for security agencies in Nigeria”.
The participants, who were drawn from the Northwest states of Kano, Katsina and Kaduna, comprised NSCDC, Police, Nigerian Army, DSS, Custom, Prison, FRSC, NDLEA, CSOs and traditional leaders.
KAS is funded by the German Government, Stolpe said, while explaining that the training was meant to foster collaboration and coordination among all the security agencies in Nigeria.
“We want to help the security agencies to find their paths, know how to better gather intelligence information and share it among themselves for better, effective coordination of security operations in Nigeria,” she added.
She further stated that security agencies in Nigeria must close ranks, eliminate rivalry, discharge their roles efficiently and balance their weaknesses with the strength of other sister security agencies.
Stolpe called on the general public, security agencies, Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) and other stakeholders to make sure Nigeria remained safe.
“Nigeria is ours, it is a collective responsibility for every Nigerian, especially the security agencies that are responsible for the protection of lives and property”, she added.
She urged the participants to put into practice all they had learnt as they return to their duties.
On his part, the Head of Peace and Conflict Management Department, NSCDC Headquarters Abuja, Mr David Idowu-Ojelabi, said the training aimed to redesign inter-agency operations in Nigeria.
It was also to synergize and discuss the issue of banditry and terrorism, including how to fashion the way forward in curtailing it in the country, he said.
“Other sister security agencies have to collaborate in fighting banditry and terrorism, as a particular security agency can not do it alone”.
“The participants were trained on early warning signs, early response and protection aimed at promoting unity and security consciousness in the communities”, Idowu-Ojelabi added.
He called on members of the public to make security issues everybody’s business, by promptly reporting any abnormal situation in one’s community to the nearest security agency.
Dr Oludayo Tade, a Criminologist, presented a paper on responsibility to protect lives and properties of individuals, noting that protection and prevention of conflict and crime were the primary responsibilities of a state, through its security agencies.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, CSI Adamu Amadu, an Immigration officer from Katsina State, commended the organisation for the training, while pledging to utilize what they had learnt.
Amadu, however, called on the NGO to extend the training to other personnel of the agencies, so that they could also benefit from the programme.