The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Sierra Leone Police (SLP) have disclosed that the duo would be joining forces to improve policing services and entrench effective systems that would respect human rights and protect citizens in both countries.
As stated, the collaboration would be targeting at deepening and consolidating relationship between the NPF and the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) in core areas of policing such as manpower development, intelligence sharing, tackling regional and transnational threats and crimes, amongst others.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, signed a Cooperation Agreement with his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Dr Ambrose Sovula, yesterday the Force Headquarters, Abuja, with assurance that both countries would be exploiting areas of interest in protecting Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
Speaking during the event, Baba reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force would sustain valuable relationship with other Law Enforcement partners within the West-African region and across the globe towards enhancing policing exchanges and staging common regional front in tackling crimes and criminality and improving public safety and security.
According to him, crime is dynamic especially in planning, perfection and execution, and increasingly resonating beyond the borders where it is committed.
The IGP stated that the Nigeria Police Force has a historically unique relationship with the Sierra Leone Police especially in the area of capacity building.
He noted for instance that in 1996, the NPF offered slots for the training of seven (7) Sierra Leonean cadet officers at the Nigeria Police Academy, kano. The IGP proudly observed that amongst the officers trained at the time, are AIG Ahamdu Mannah, the current Director of Operations in the Sierra Leon Police and CP Austin Kaile, the current Police Commissioner for the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
In addition, IGP mentioned that ten (10) Senior Sierra Leonean Police officers are part of the course participants currently attending the Strategic Leadership Command Course at the Nigeria Police National Institute of Police Studies, Abuja.
On his part, the Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police who was on a five-day working visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja led by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Republic of Sierra Leone, David Panda-Noah, aappreciated Baba for approving the participation of ten Senior Sierra Leonean Police officers in the ongoing strategic leadership and command course at the National Institute of Police Studies.
He commended the leadership of the NPF for the collaboration especially in the area of training and capacity building and expressed his belief that it would enhance the strategic management and operational visibility of the Sierra Leone Police.
Also speaking, Panda-Noah expressed the appreciation of the Government and People of Sierra Leone for the collaborative relationship between the two Police organizations.
He affirmed that the synergy has indeed impacted positively on policing services in Sierra Leone. He expressed hope that the signing of the Cooperation Agreement would enable both countries perfect a Memorandum of Understanding that would help evolve a formidable policing collaboration between the two West African countries.
