PCRC at 42: IGP Calls for Deeper Collaboration, Smarter Engagement to Enhance National Security
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has called for deeper collaboration and smarter engagement between the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) as part of efforts to strengthen national security and enhance community policing across the country.
The IGP stressed that sustained partnership, intelligence sharing, mutual trust, and active community participation remain essential to tackling emerging security threats and building safer communities nationwide.
Disu made the call at the 42nd anniversary celebration of the PCRC held at the Police Resource Centre, Jabi, Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Logistics and Supply, DIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, he described the anniversary as more than a celebration of longevity, but a reflection of commitment, sacrifice, and shared responsibility in promoting public safety and national cohesion.
He said, “The future of policing and indeed the future of national security depends on deeper collaboration, smarter engagement and stronger community participation. This version of police is committed to a policing model that is proactive, intelligence-driven, technology-enabled and community-rooted.”
The IGP noted that no policing reform, strategy, or innovation can succeed without public trust and involvement, adding that the PCRC has continued to play a critical role in strengthening the relationship between the police and the communities they serve.
According to him, “The future we envision, a future of safe, resilient and peaceful communities will require renewed commitment to community engagement, stronger involvement, enhanced public trust and continuous dialogue between the police and the people we serve.
“The PCRC must continue to evolve, embracing new ideas, new technologies and new partnerships that reflect the realities of modern policing. Today’s celebration is not only a moment of pride, it is a call to action. A call to strengthen the bonds that have sustained the partnership for 42 years. A call to deepen our collective resolve to build a safer Nigeria.”
Speaking on the theme, “42 years of PCRC, a legacy of service, a future of safe communities,” the IGP said the theme reflects the organisation’s longstanding commitment to trust, collaboration, and community-focused policing.
He stated that over the past four decades, the PCRC has remained one of the strongest pillars of community-oriented policing in Nigeria through its support for dialogue, advocacy, and cooperation between citizens and law enforcement agencies.
According to him, “You have demonstrated consistently and convincingly that security is not the responsibility of the police alone. It is a shared duty, one that thrives when citizens and law enforcement work hand in hand. Your legacy is written in countless acts of service, the bridges you have built between communities and the police.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd.), represented by the Head of Protocol and Public Affairs, Torty Kalu, said the PCRC has served as the civilian heartbeat of the Nigeria Police Force since its establishment in 1984.
He said, “In times when the relationship between citizens and police was strained by distrust, the PCRC provided a platform for dialogue. Research supports that community policing reduces crime not by increasing arrests, but by increasing legitimacy.”
Earlier, the National Chairman of the PCRC, Alhaji Mogaji Olaniyan, described the anniversary as a celebration of resilience, unity, and commitment to the association’s founding ideals.
He said the organisation, founded 42 years ago by the late IGP Etim Inyang (rtd.), had grown from a small initiative into a formidable and respected body dedicated to fostering cordial relations between the police and the public.