CP Gumel: The Impact of Community Policing for  Reformation in Kano, by Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

CP Gumel: The Impact of Community Policing for  Reformation in Kano

By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

Everybody who gets acquainted with Usaini Muhammed Gumel, the current Commissioner of Police (CP) for Kano State, will surely describe him as an officer who embodies the very essence of community policing. For years, he has not just kept vigilance on the streets but woven himself into the fabric of the neighborhoods.

His dedication to fostering trust and respect between law enforcement and the citizens they protect is legendary. To him, the police job is beyond preventing crimes, it encompasses a broader landscape consisting of building better lives and giving hope to the humanities.  Through his unwavering belief in rehabilitation, he has used his wealth of experience to steer countless individuals away from a life of crime and towards a brighter future, especially in Kano State and other places where he served.

The Nigeria Police Award bagged by CP Gumel recently in Abuja is another true testament to his hard work, commitment, and diligence as a police officer.

The Kano Sheriff and the State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Haruna Abdullahi Kiyawa, were awarded alongside 14 other outstanding police officers based on the recommendations of the Nigeria Police Force Awards Committee headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Bala Ciroma.

The maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations ceremony was held in conjunction with a private entity and stakeholder in the Nigerian security community, Lenders Consult International, to appreciate exemplary police officers.

While CP Usaini Muhammed Gumel was honoured as the ‘Community Policing Advocate of the Year’, on the other hand, the command spokesperson, who is blessed with strategic communication skills, SP Kiyawa, bagged the award of ‘Police Public Relations Officer of the Year.’

Meanwhile, the awards were instituted in order to commend the meritorious and exceptional services demonstrated by officers and also to set guiding principles that should shape the daily actions and decisions of police officers.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, while speaking at the event, emphasised that the Force remains vigilant in sanctioning those who have acted unprofessionally or in violation of the code of conduct in the course of their duties.

He added that the award should not only serve as a platform for celebration but also as a reminder of the importance of accountability and responsibility within law enforcement.

Revisiting the journey of CP Gumel in Kano State as a law enforcement officer will leave a person dazzling courtesy of the inventory of his good track records of accomplishments ranging from advocating for community policing, safeguarding the lives and properties of people, converting hardened criminals into law-abiding citizens, and their subsequent empowerment in order to secure a brighter future for them ahead.

CP Gumel was deployed at a period of rampaging activities by thugs who are wrecking havocs through phone snatching and thuggery leading to large scores of casualties.

Immediately when he arrived, the CP did not waste time in rolling out community policing measures to curb the rising tides of the public disorders bedevilling the metropolitan area.

Coincidentally, with a certified public relations practitioner as the spokesperson of the command, the awareness campaigns on the measures were intensified through wise communication skills in transmitting the message of the command to the teaming populace.

Kiyawa’s strategic skills and cordial relationships with the media and other stakeholders continued to be the forces to be reckoned with towards turning the wise agenda of the CP into fruition for the benefit of the Kano masses.

Being a member of the intelligence community, CP Gumel on assumption of office promised to leverage the use of intelligence assets for the gathering of reliable evidence and the application of the right technology in fighting all forms of criminal activities across the state in collaborations with other sister security agencies.

In order to enhance professionalism in policing,

he ensured adequate and steady welfare package for officers and men of the Command.

Gumel runs people-friendly policing that observes fundamental human rights and freedom of suspects. Rather than looking for those to be arrested, he was engaging youths on dialogues towards better society they would be proud of.

CP Gumel’s unique strategy is by implementing community-oriented approaches in the criminal justice system that brings about positive change and transformation in the state.

His unique strategy includes engaging community stakeholders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups into the reformation process.

Such very clear engagements address the core social issues, reduce crime rates, and build trust between law enforcement agencies and the community.

Through his progressive activities, CP Gumel wins the hearts of hundreds of hardened thugs leading them to quit wayward life and embrace peace.

It was not surprising that he facilitated the recruitments of many youths into ‘special constables’ within the state command after undergoing the required trainings.

The delighted police Commissioner during. The graduation ceremony in October 2023, said: “At least 50 youths out of 222 repentant thugs will be engage in community policing. We are glad that many more are surrendering, promising never to engage in thuggery and other social vices again.”

A leader who leads from the front, CP Gumel sets standards for emulation by his subordinates. For instance, in July 2023, he courageously and bravely climbed the historic Dala hill, known as Dutsen Dala, and declared war against criminals and illicit drug dealers who had occupied section of the place.

Addressing journalists on top of the hill, CP Gumel said: “We are now here at the historical pyramid widely referred to as the ancient Dala Hills (Dutsen Dala), which symbolises the economic hub of the city, but unfortunately, it was hijacked by thugs, who turned the place into their hideout and a place of rendezvous, especially for illicit dealings in drugs.”

The police under his watch curtailed the circulation of illicit drug abuse and dealing in Kano State which made the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),

Kano State Command to present him with a Letter of Commendation for his collaborative efforts in fighting the war against drug abuse and peddling.

While he actively engages in advocacy for reforming the youth, he also ensures that unrepentent criminals are apprehended and prosecuted accordingly.

For instance, in March 2024, the police operatives arrested over 120 suspects for thuggery and other related crimes in the state.

The CP hails from the Gumel Local Government Area of Jigawa State. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

His career began when he was appointed into the Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintended of Police (Cadet ASP) and trained at the Police Academy Annex Kaduna on May 18, 1992, where he successfully passed out in December 1993.

Subsequently, he assumed duty as ASP on probation in Minna, Niger State, on January 5, 1994. Since then, he has grown in the service of the Nigeria Police Force and served as general duty personnel in fields of administration, training, crime, traffic management, and investigations, among others, as well as in the intelligence branch, where he served longer until his immediate past duty post (prior to serving as Police Commissioner in Sokoto) as Commissioner of Police in Charge of Technical Intelligence Unit (CP-TIU).

CP Gumel has attended not less than 23 police courses within and outside the country. Few among them  include; Intermediate Command Course (ICC), Police Staff College Jos, Nigeria, November 2007; Advance Intelligence course at Nigerian Army Intelligence School, Apapa Lagos, Nigeria, between October and November 2010; Police Leaders’ Role in Combating Terrorism Course by the Office of Anti- Terrorism Assistance Bureau of Diplomatic Security U.S Department of State in 2013; and Terrorist Financing Investigation International Course, Metropolitan Police, Scotland Yard, London, UK, in 2014, etc.

Furthermore, CP Usaini Gumel has served in various capacities within and outside Nigeria, which include Head of Police Component of ECOWAS Standby Force and Peace Support Operations Divisions, where he regularly interfaced with police services of the 15 ECOWAS Member States (ECOPOL). He also collaborated a lot with the United Nations, the European Union and African Union Commission on Police Peacekeeping Department, and the Interpol EU Project of the West African Police Information System (WAPIS), among others.

On the other hand, he has received several trainings and participated in workshops across all the ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence (namely, the Nigerian Defence College, the EMP Bamako Mali, and the Koffi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, KAIPTC Accra, Ghana).

He also attended various police courses in Ethiopia, the Middle East (UAE-Dubai, Saudi Arabia), and Europe (the UK, Germany, and USA), among others.

In terms of membership of professional bodies, he is a Member of International Association of Chiefs of Police- (IACP); Member of Global Information Security Council (GISEC) -Middle East and Asia; Member of World Intelligence Support System -(ISS) -Middle East and Asia; and Professional on Cobweb Intelligence Training in GSM Fundamental and Technical Intelligence just to mention but few.

No doubt, CP Gumel has already left an indelible mark in Police Force profession through his legacies and accomplishments that will continue to impact on the populace for many generations. To cut the story short, the decorated CP has already written his name boldly in gold.

Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi, an NDA research student, is the author of “National Security Strategies: A Young Writer’s Perspective.” He wrote from Kano via [email protected]