The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Training and Development), Mr Ifeanyi Uche, has commended the Governor Peter Mbah Administration for investing heavily in manpower development and modern security infrastructure such as a Command and Control Centre, surveillance systems, drones, and other hi-tech crime-fighting tools.

The AIG gave the commendation on Friday during a training organised by the Enugu State Government for hundreds of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Enugu State Forest Guards, and the Neighbourhood Watch in the state.

The five-day training, themed “Building Smarter, Safer and Secure Communities,” focused on data gathering and cybersecurity. Facilitators included the Chairman of the INTERPOL Africa Working Group on Cybercrime and trainers from the NPF National Cybercrime Centre.

Speaking with newsmen after touring the Enugu State Command and Control Centre with the participants on the final day of the training, AIG Uche said criminal activities had evolved from conventional offences to technology-driven crimes, making it imperative for security agencies to embrace digital tools in crime prevention and investigation.

“Most crimes today are technologically generated. To effectively combat them, law enforcement agencies must deploy technology and acquire the necessary skills to use it.

“I have seen firsthand the technological infrastructure that we have on the ground here in Enugu State. I can tell you clearly that I am so impressed with what I have seen. That is why, outside here, we all know that Enugu State is one of the safest states in Nigeria. And the testament is what I’ve seen today.

“The world has actually embraced smart policing. And what we are seeing today is so wonderful because this is one of the few states where we are using technology to fight crime. The governor has done so much and has done so well in fighting crime using technology.

“The old era of analogue ways of fighting crime has gone. With what we have on the ground, such as hi-tech drones and a Command and Control Centre that sees all the nooks and crannies of the state, it’s wonderful and I commend the governor for doing a good job,” he stated.

He said the training was designed to bring manpower at par with available technology by equipping security personnel with skills such as data protection, data extraction, analysis, cybersecurity, and the application of digital technologies in intelligence gathering and crime detection.

Also speaking, the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guards, Dr Olasoji Akinbayo, said the training would strengthen intelligence gathering, data management, and inter-agency collaboration.

Akinbayo, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) at the Enugu State Popice Command, said effective data collection and analysis would significantly improve security operations across the state.

He added that the state government had adequately equipped the Forest Guards with the necessary tools and infrastructure to work closely with other security agencies.

On his part, the Chief Security Officer to Gov. Peter Mbah, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Osondu, said the training was aimed at enhancing the digital security capabilities of personnel across different agencies.

Osondu, a Superintendent of Police, said the programme reflected the state government’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency cooperation and leveraging technology to maintain security.

According to him, the success of the programme was made possible through the support of the Inspector-General of Police and the state government’s commitment to funding security initiatives.

One of the beneficiaries and Chief Security Officer of Oji River Local Government Area, Mr Onyia Nwokeabia, described the training as highly impactful.

“Part of what we learnt here has already yielded results. Using some of the digital investigative techniques taught during the training, I was able to identify suspects linked to a threatening phone call, and one of them is already in police custody,” he said.

Similarly, Deputy Superintendent of Corps, NSCDC, Mrs Ijeoma Obidigbo, said the programme deepened participants’ understanding of cybersecurity, data protection, and digital investigation techniques.

“With the knowledge gained from this programme, we now understand the importance of protecting information from cyber threats and how technology can be used to track and apprehend criminals more efficiently,” she stated.