Reimagining Policing in Lagos through Community Engagement and Compassion By Shukurat Temitope Ibrahim
Effective policing in Lagos has found a new meaning. It is no longer about patrols, arrests, or the clatter of sirens—it is about people, trust, and listening. The Lagos State Police Command is quietly rewriting its relationship with the public, realizing that safety cannot be achieved without the confidence of those it seeks to protect.
Over the past year, the command has taken deliberate steps to close the emotional and operational distance between officers and citizens. The shift began with the arrival of Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, whose leadership has placed community partnership at the heart of modern policing.
Upon assumption of duty in early 2025, CP Jimoh issued a simple but transformative directive to his Divisional Police Officers (DPOs): “Rebuild confidence through partnership.” He challenged officers to treat residents not as suspects but as collaborators in the shared responsibility of keeping Lagos safe. That philosophy—quiet, inclusive, and people-centered—is now shaping a new chapter in Lagos policing.
At the core of this transformation is the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), which has evolved into the living bridge between the police and the people. Across the state, PCRC meetings have become a model for participatory security management, where local intelligence and grassroots insights complement law enforcement strategy.
In Ikeja, the Area F Command under ACP Akinpelu Afolabi holds monthly security meetings that bring together landlords, traders, and business owners. These are not ceremonial gatherings; they are tactical sessions. In June 2025, intelligence shared at one such meeting led to the arrest of a notorious robbery gang that had terrorized the Oregun axis for months.
In Surulere, CSP Adebayo Adekunle has redefined what a patrol means. His “Walk and Talk” initiative takes officers into markets alongside community leaders—not to intimidate or arrest, but to listen. Traders in Ojuelegba and Aguda have credited this simple gesture with reducing incidents of harassment and misunderstanding between the police and residents.
The model has since spread to other divisions, including Mushin, Iponri, and Alakara, demonstrating that empathy and presence are as important as enforcement.
Perhaps the greatest test of police-community relations lies in engaging young people—many of whom have grown up distrusting the police. For years, social media has been a battlefield of accusations and resentment. But under the immediate past Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command began turning that battlefield into a dialogue forum.
Hundeyin’s verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, now followed by over half a million users, became an open line of communication between citizens and the Force. He responded to complaints in real time, clarified misinformation, and, in serious cases, escalated issues for internal investigation. For many young Lagosians, this marked the first time the police seemed willing to listen—and respond publicly.
Offline, the command has built on that momentum through collaborations with the CLEEN Foundation and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA). Together, they organize sensitization forums that bring officers and citizens face-to-face.
In April 2025, officers from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) met with student leaders at the University of Lagos to discuss youth safety, digital fraud, and policing ethics. Moderated by the Dean of Student Affairs, the dialogue produced practical recommendations on stop-and-search procedures and the need for mutual respect. These small yet significant engagements are helping to demystify the uniform and humanize the badge.
Read Also:
Female officers are also redefining community engagement. In May 2025, the Ojo Division, under SP Folake Odediran, launched the “Market Peace Initiative.” The program trains market executives in conflict resolution and theft prevention following violent clashes between traders and transport unions.
Within three months, crime statistics from the division recorded a 40 percent reduction in market-related disputes, proving that empathy and inclusion can succeed where force has failed.
The Lagos Police Command is also leveraging interfaith cooperation as a peace strategy. In Ikorodu, the Area N Command, led by ACP Ganiyu Salami, holds regular meetings with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the League of Imams.
These gatherings focus on intelligence-sharing and crowd management during major religious events. Their coordination during Ramadan, Easter, and Christmas festivities has prevented traffic gridlocks and petty thefts that once disrupted worship centers and public spaces. The lesson is clear: when faith leaders and law enforcement work together, peace becomes predictable.
Despite these gains, challenges persist. Many of the community initiatives still depend heavily on the personal drive of officers rather than institutional policy. Frequent transfers often disrupt the continuity of progress before trust fully matures.
Public complaints about extortion, abuse of power, and unprofessional conduct—especially at road checkpoints—continue to taint the Force’s image. Civil society organizations have urged the command to consolidate its reforms by embedding community engagement into official training and evaluation frameworks.
For instance, the command could establish a Community Accountability Forum in every division where residents and civil society can review misconduct cases and propose corrective measures. It should also publish quarterly public reports summarizing community feedback, disciplinary outcomes, and lessons learned. Transparency, more than rhetoric, will sustain the fragile trust now being rebuilt.
What Lagos needs is continuity. A single commissioner’s vision can start a change, but only policy can sustain it. The Lagos State Police Command should formalize community engagement into a permanent operational pillar—complete with guidelines, budgets, and metrics.
Every DPO should undergo regular retraining in mediation, crisis communication, and human rights standards. Likewise, PCRC meetings must evolve from routine discussions to structured mechanisms for intelligence-sharing and joint problem-solving.
Modern policing is no longer about dominance—it is about deliberate connection. The police must be seen not only in moments of crisis but in moments of community. Whether at markets, schools, or faith centers, presence without pressure builds legitimacy.
The transformation unfolding in Lagos under CP Jimoh’s leadership reflects a broader truth: security is not the product of fear but of trust. Where the police listen, communities open up; where they collaborate, peace becomes self-sustaining.
From the bustling streets of Ikeja to the vibrant markets of Ojo, from the student halls of Akoka to the faith gatherings in Ikorodu, Lagos is quietly showing what policing in a democracy can look like—humane, responsive, and rooted in mutual respect.
The task now is to ensure that this progress does not fade with leadership changes or bureaucratic inertia. The real victory will come when the values of empathy, accountability, and partnership become institutional culture rather than individual conviction.
The Lagos Police Command’s current reform journey proves one enduring lesson: when the people become partners, peace becomes easier to protect.
What is working in Surulere, Ikeja, or Ojo can work everywhere—if leadership remains consistent and the spirit of listening continues. The question is no longer whether the police can earn public trust, but whether they will keep choosing to.
Because in the end, true security is not enforced—it is nurtured, one conversation at a time.
Shukurat Temitope Ibrahim is a PRNigeria Fellow and writes from Ilorin.
