Bayelsa Police Seek Media Support to Fight Insecurity, Drug Abuse, Cultism

The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, has called for stronger collaboration between the police and the media to tackle insecurity, drug abuse, cultism and other forms of criminality across the state.

Key Highlights

• Bayelsa Police seek stronger partnership with journalists on security.
• CP Ajao Adewale says security is a shared responsibility.
• Commissioner urges residents to provide timely information to security agencies.
• Police cite reliable intelligence as key to rescuing an abducted woman.
• CP Adewale calls for stronger youth engagement to tackle drug abuse and cultism.
• NUJ Bayelsa urges sustained police reforms and improved personnel training.
• Media, philanthropists and companies urged to support youth empowerment programmes.

Adewale made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa Council Secretariat on Azikoro Road, Yenagoa.

The commissioner said effective communication remained critical to the success of security operations, describing the media as an important partner in reaching the wider society.

He said the Bayelsa Police Command would build on its existing relationship with journalists to strengthen security operations, improve intelligence gathering and ensure effective dissemination of security information.

“Security is generally a shared responsibility. If there is information somewhere, pass it to the right agency so that it can act on it and prevent a bad situation.

“The Police, despite their numerical strength, cannot be everywhere. But with the press, we can have eyes watching on our behalf,” he said.

Bayelsa Police Highlight Importance of Intelligence Sharing

Adewale also stressed the importance of inter-agency and community collaboration, saying effective information sharing was crucial to achieving positive security outcomes.

He recalled the abduction of a woman on July 28, saying the command activated relevant security agencies shortly after he assumed office to facilitate her rescue.

According to the commissioner, reliable intelligence helped security personnel locate and rescue the victim.

“We got reliable intelligence and were able to move our team to the scene where the woman was rescued,” he said.

CP Calls for Youth Engagement Against Drug Abuse, Cultism

The commissioner said greater engagement with young people would help address insecurity and other social challenges, particularly drug abuse, cultism and related criminal activities.

He urged stakeholders to support programmes that would provide youths with productive opportunities and discourage them from criminal activities.

NUJ Bayelsa Pledges Support for Police

Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Bayelsa Council, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, described the media as a key partner in security operations and information dissemination.

Yemoleigha said journalists, as field workers, were constantly in contact with people and developments across society, making cooperation between the media and security agencies essential.

“Our focal area is the relationship between journalists and the Police in the field. We need to work in synergy because we are co-travellers in the Nigerian project.

“Our responsibilities are intertwined, and we have a collective responsibility to serve Nigeria together,” he said.

The NUJ chairman urged the new commissioner to sustain ongoing police reforms while improving personnel training and public relations within the command.

He also called for an aggressive campaign against drug abuse and cultism in Bayelsa, particularly to protect young people from criminal influences.

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NUJ Seeks Youth Empowerment to Reduce Crime

Yemoleigha appealed to philanthropists, companies and other organisations to invest in skills acquisition and empowerment programmes for youths.

He noted that government alone could not provide employment opportunities for the entire population and urged private organisations to help equip young people with skills that would enable them to become productive members of society.

“The government cannot provide all the necessary employment opportunities for the entire population. Companies and philanthropists therefore need to equip our youths to become productive and live meaningful lives,” he said.

The NUJ chairman assured the Bayelsa Police Command of the media’s readiness to sustain its partnership with the police, describing the relationship as essential to promoting peace, security and development across the state.