Enugu State trains security agents on modern policing

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Training and Development, Mr Ifeanyi Uche, praised Governor Peter Mbah's Administration for heavily investing in training and modern security tools. This includes a Command and Control Centre, surveillance systems, drones, and other high-tech crime-fighting equipment.

AIG Uche made these remarks on Friday during a training session organized by the Enugu State Government. The training involved hundreds of staff from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Enugu State Forest Guards, and the Neighbourhood Watch in the state.

The training lasted five days and was themed "Building Smarter, Safer and Secure Communities." It focused on data gathering and cybersecurity. The facilitators included the Chairman of the INTERPOL Africa Working Group on Cybercrime and trainers from the NPF National Cybercrime Centre.

After touring the Enugu State Command and Control Centre with participants on the last day of training, AIG Uche said criminal activities have shifted from traditional crimes to technology-driven crimes. He emphasized that security agencies must adopt digital tools for crime prevention and investigation.

"Most crimes today are technologically generated. To effectively combat them, law enforcement agencies must deploy technology and acquire the necessary skills to use it.

"I have seen firsthand the technological infrastructure that we have on the ground here in Enugu State. I can tell you clearly that I am so impressed with what I have seen. That is why, outside here, we all know that Enugu State is one of the safest states in Nigeria. And the testament is what I’ve seen today.

"The world has actually embraced smart policing. And what we are seeing today is so wonderful because this is one of the few states where we are using technology to fight crime. The governor has done so much and has done so well in fighting crime using technology.

"The old era of analogue ways of fighting crime has gone. With what we have on the ground, such as high-tech drones and a Command and Control Centre that sees all the nooks and crannies of the state, it’s wonderful and I commend the governor for doing a good job," he stated.

He said the training was meant to align manpower with available technology. This includes teaching security personnel skills like data protection, data extraction, analysis, cybersecurity, and using digital technologies in gathering intelligence and detecting crime.

Dr Olasoji Akinbayo, the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guards, also spoke. He said the training would improve intelligence gathering, data management, and collaboration among agencies. Akinbayo, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, said good data collection and analysis would boost security operations in the state.

He added that the state government has equipped the Forest Guards with tools and infrastructure to work closely with other security agencies. The Chief Security Officer to Gov. Peter Mbah, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Osondu, stated that the training aimed to improve the digital security skills of personnel from different agencies.

Osondu, a Superintendent of Police, said the program shows the state government’s dedication to strengthening cooperation among agencies and using technology to secure the state. He mentioned that the support of the Inspector-General of Police and the state government's commitment to funding security initiatives made the program successful.

Mr Onyia Nwokeabia, a participant and Chief Security Officer of Oji River Local Government Area, called the training very impactful.

"Part of what we learnt here has already yielded results. Using some of the digital investigative techniques taught during the training, I was able to identify suspects linked to a threatening phone call, and one of them is already in police custody," he said.

Deputy Superintendent of Corps, NSCDC, Mrs Ijeoma Obidigbo, said the program deepened participants’ understanding of cybersecurity, data protection, and digital investigation methods.

"With the knowledge gained from this program, we now understand the importance of protecting information from cyber threats and how technology can be used to track and apprehend criminals more efficiently," she stated.