The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) stated that the negative sentiment toward police officers in Nigeria is impacting the country’s security.
Mogaji Olaniyan, the National Chairman of the PCRC, spoke on this issue during the committee’s 40th-anniversary celebration in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Olaniyan expressed concern about the rising animosity, noting that it contributes to security challenges in the country.
He criticized the pervasive hostility toward the police and emphasized that the PCRC is working to establish a lasting relationship between community members and law enforcement to address the situation.
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Olaniyan stressed the importance of resolving this deep-seated resentment to promote a positive relationship between citizens and the police, which would ultimately improve security across the nation.
“We urge people to embrace the Nigeria Police,” he said. “Unfortunately, from childhood, enmity has been instilled between our children and the Nigeria Police.”
“This hatred starts from our home. For instance, if parents want to scold their children they will say ‘I will call the police for you. This is why our children grow up with hatred for the police and that is why we are trying to stop this narrative.”
Olaniyan, however, called for an urgent need to address what he called widespread hatred towards the officers of the Nigeria Police.
The State Chairman of the Committee, Samson Kunle Popoola stated that the security of Ogun state remains paramount to the PCRC, hence, its cordial relationship with the police.
He affirmed that Ogun state remains the most peaceful and safe state in Nigeria, calling for more cooperation between the residents and the police to keep the record intact.