It was a session of training and retraining for men of Oyo State Command of NSCDC on overcoming security challenges. Bayo Agboola, reports.
The Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in its quest to shape up its officers and men for the modern day task of security challenges engaged its personnel in a two-day training at its Area A Command of the corps, Railway quarters, Iyaganku Ibadan.
It is no longer news that insecurity is presently one of the major challenges facing the country as well as threatening its corporate existence with security agencies and the federal government seeking lasting solutions to the menace which had reared its ugly head in the forms of banditry, kidnapping, armed attacks, assassination, killings, armed robberies, among others in and across the country.
Areas of training
Oyo NSCDC command in meeting up with the yawning of the moment subjected over 350 of its personnel to training on security/law enforcement operations including ‘Hostile Environment Protection’, ‘Executive Close Protection’, ‘VIP Protection’, ‘Customer Care’, ‘Executive Self Defence training’, ‘Crowd Control Management’, ‘Defensive Driving’, ‘Security Surveillance’, Security Journey Management’ and ‘Security strategy’.
Officers from across the state NSCDC command for the two-day training were drawn from different departments including Crisis Management Department, Agro Ranger Unit, Counter Terrorism Unit, Anti-Vandal, Disaster Management Unit, as well as the Female Special Squad.
According to the state NSCDC Commandant, Michael Akintayo Adaralewa while speaking at the training, “It is very necessary to train and retrain all officers and men of the corps, especially with the rate of insecurity in the country. There is need for every officer and men of NSCDC to be ready at all times for the challenges facing Nigeria on security.”
Forensic expert’s advice
A forensic expert, Dr Wale Folarin in his presentation titled, ‘The role of Forensic Psychologist in the Criminal Justice System’ emphasised the importance of Forensic Psychology (FP) in modern day investigations into criminal issues especially with the various security challenges across the world.
Specifically, Dr Folarin pointed out the importance of application of forensic psychological principles in the investigation of civil and criminal matters with a view to nailing or exonerating a suspect.
According to Dr Folarin, without the application of forensic science, criminals can never be convicted unless there was an eyewitness.
“While detective collect evidence, forensic psychology deal with the analysis of evidence in order to establish facts admissible in court.”
The expert in his presentation maintained that FP has not been fully adopted in Nigeria as investigators, judges and magistrates assume the position of FP, adding that there was nothing like FP in Nigeria before 2015.
Speaking on Criminal Justice System, ( CJS) , Dr Folarin listed five steps applicable in the system as arrest, preliminary investigation, grand jury investigation, arraignment in criminal court and trial by judges/ magistrates while in CJS, forensic psychology despite serving as a crucial element of the CJS was often underated.
Concluding, Dr Folarin noted that CJS widely recognises the role of forensic evidence in the trial of criminal offenders while FP are behavioural and metal health professionals whose findings are often used to make judicial determinations. “They bring behavioural research into the court room. Their responsibilities and duties place them in various settings ranging from court system to law enforcement agencies and from correctional institutions to medical treatment facilities. Therefore, they are gamane to an effective and efficient judicial system.”
Another expert speaks
A security expert from the United Kingdom, Femi Aratokun Ale of Target Search Global Nigeria, in his presentation entitled, ‘Security/Law Enforcement and the Community’ identified five levels of leadership in law enforcement which a leader should possess as honesty, integrity, humility, mentorship, wellness for a high level of commitment to all facets of police work and to making their communities a better place
Aratokun – Ale who emphasised that in law enforcement specifically leaders should possess a high level of commitment to all facets of police work and to making their communities a better place gave the breakdown when he said.
“Whether working internally within a police department or interacting with citizens, community leaders and the media, honesty is essential.
“This can mean being transparent throughout an ongoing investigation, being honest with officers under their command about their performance and ultimately being honest with themselves about their potential shortcomings as leaders.
“For a law enforcement leader, acting with integrity means consistently doing the right thing, even when it’s the more difficult option.
“When a Commanding Officer or Chief of Police demonstrates their commitment to honour and integrity, other officers are more likely to follow their lead.
“Humility is vitally important for police leaders today. However, it is one of the most challenging qualities to develop and sustain as sometimes it can be misconstrued as a sign of weakness, but, when a law enforcement leader demonstrates humility, they help foster an environment where their fellow officers and subordinates feel safe to voice concerns about conduct or incidents that reflect poorly on the department.
Aratokun-Ale noted further that, “Additionally, humility allows officers to feel comfortable approaching their leadership with ideas and questions that can help improve department operations. And because many new officers from the millennial generation prefer a teamwork-style approach over an authoritative leadership style, having humility can make establishing that relationship more seamless.
“The law enforcement landscape and police / LE leadership practices are constantly evolving, but advice and insights from experienced officers is a timeless asset. That is why mentorship is invaluable, so much so that many departments have implemented mentorship programmes . Even without formal mentor-mentee partnerships, young officers and leaders can greatly benefit from the advice of law enforcement veterans. And new officers can benefit greatly from having guidance from experienced officers.”
The UK- based security expert while speaking on Transformational Leadership stressed that it focuses on what he called a people-centered approach that aims to inspire, empower and motivate one’s team, saying a leader that follows this approach works with subordinates to commit to a shared vision and goals for the organisation.
According to him, ” Transformational leaders are inclusive, considering
each individual’s unique needs, skills and motivations. They often have an open door policy to facilitate more frequent and candid communication.”
On Authoritative Police/Law Enforcement Leadership, the expert stated that authoritative leadership is strictly rules-based with a preference for order and a sometimes military-like approach saying, “In such organisations, the leader exerts full control over the team and subordinates are expected to simply follow and obey, not to offer feedback or contribute ideas. However, as the next generation of law enforcement officers enters the field, this hard-nosed leadership style is not as effective as it might have been in previous generations, and many contemporary leaders are exploring other ways to lead, inspire and engage.”
Concerning Transactional Police/Law Enforcement Leadership, the security expert pointed out that it is much like authoritative leadership except that it relies on a rewards-based system to motivate subordinates.
“According to this system, rewards or punishments are handed out based on a subordinate’s performance and adherence to the rules.
“The theory is that individual officers would conform to the rules and vision of the leader, influenced by the fear of discipline for poor performance versus the anticipation of positive reinforcement for a job well done.”
At the end of the training, Adaralewa charged all the officers and men of the corps who participated in the training to exhibit the knowledge impacted in them.
