North East Regional Initiative: A Lasting Legacy

NERI rehabilitated the Nigerian Police Force’s Borno State Command radio room and provided more equipment, including repeaters, handheld receivers and mobile radios, enabling them to cover the entire Maiduguri metro area . PHOTO BY ANIEBIET BASSEY

IMPROVING COMMUNITY SECURITY

I have never had the opportunity to talk to security personnel like this. I always saw them as wicked people, but this program changed my perspective. I never imagined that security people could be friendly.” — Hajia Halimatu Madu, community member, Gubio LGA, Borno State

area police and civilian officials and watch groups. Residents’ trust of all these groups waxes and wanes over time and is affected by the behavior of peacekeepers as groups and as individuals, levels of corruption and dozens of other factors. NERI’s goal in planning activities to increase community security was to get the groups to work together, to promote greater understanding and to forge stronger bonds that will serve to protect not just the government structure, but its people as well. Whereas meetings and forums to open channels of communication and improve relations between the police and the community are useful, NERI

T he quickest way to defeat in battle is through division — division of forces, ideals, goals and approaches. “United we stand; divided we fall” captures the essence of the origins of victory. It’s no different for those fighting violent extremist groups in Northeast Nigeria. Thus, in an effor t to increase security by uniting the forces combating insurgency, NERI set out to improve fractured relations between community members and police, security forces and civilian government officials. While security forces are still part of the equation for keeping the peace in Northeast Nigeria, they are now working alongside local government

NORTH EAST REGIONAL INITIATIVE: A LASTING LEGACY | 27

Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter