The Lagos state government has recruited about 5,700 youths under its Neighborhood Safety Corps initiative.
The development is coming as part of the government’s resolve to enhance community policing.
Speaking at the official launch of the Corps, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said the move is another step towards enhancing security at the grassroots level in the state.
He stated that the Corps is expected to assist the police by providing useful intelligence information to them for crime prevention and to facilitate the arrest of perpetrators of crime.
The security outfit is infused with more young men and women trained and equipped with requisite knowledge and skills to complement the work of the police.
According to the governor, members of the Corps have been trained in areas such as: “mediating disputes and the art of negotiating for peaceful resolution, balancing communal interests in resolving disputes and proactive policing engagement instead of reactive policing”.
Meanwhile, the launch of the Corps also marks the commencement of the state whistle blowing scheme and the governor stated that “any valuable information given to the Corps, will attract handsome rewards from the state government”
“I therefore call on all Lagosians to join hands with us, to say a final ‘no’ to crime in our state,” Mr Ambode added.
