Insecurity: Train youth as community police officers – cleric

A renowned cleric in Kaduna, Pastor James Wuye, has called for the recruitment and training of youth to serve as community policing officers.

Wuye, who suggested such a measure in an interview in Kaduna on Monday, said the move would help in tackling the security challenges facing the country.

The cleric, who is also the Co-Executive Director, Interfaith Mediation Centre, Kaduna, opined that the move could check the activities of kidnappers.

According to him, the community volunteers can move from village to village to assist security agents.

“Government should recruit and trains 100 youths from each community, to work with security agencies in securing their environment.

“This will serve as a temporary measure, while in the long term, the government is advised to conscript young men into the security agencies as a way of protecting the citizens,” he said.

He lamented that the country was under siege, stressing the need to address the challenges without further delay.

“When self-protection escalates, it leads to people bearing arms and doing the unthinkable, as such, the way forward is an increase in community policing,” he said.