The Federal Government has started training officers and men in the Nigeria Police Force in conduct (NPF).
For better service delivery, the emotional intelligence training will emphasize self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
The seminar began on Thursday in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, under the direction of Minister of Police Affairs Muhammad Dingyadi.
He claimed that because of the demanding nature of police work, officers are subject to stress and anxiety, which may be passed on to the general public.
Dingyadi noticed that this leads to violations like harassment and the improper use of weapons, which damage the security agency’s reputation.
He revealed that the ministry is collaborating with police management to institutionalize orientation among staff, increase citizen participation in robust human intelligence, and deepen citizen trust and confidence.
“The workshop will assist in self-critique in order to strengthen weaknesses in emotional intelligence to improve police-citizens relationship for enhanced internal security management in Nigeria”.
The training will be held in other geopolitical zones in the coming days and weeks, with special emphasis on junior officers who constitute the vast majority and interface more with the populace.
Dingyadi also mentioned that the capacity building was taking place at the same time as general election preparations and gave police officers advice on how to behave.
“The laudable interventions by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in policing deserve Nigerians’ ownership and reciprocity through cooperation with the police”, he noted.
Gafaru Buraimoh and Bolanle Raheem were shot and killed by police officers assigned to the Ajah Division in Lagos in December.
Nigerians lament the persistent extrajudicial killings and harassment committed by the police across the nation.
The protests against SARS in 2020 were brought on by a number of events, including arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, illegal phone tapping, assault, and more.