Police train 160 personnel on intelligence gathering in Ondo State
The Police in Ondo State have trained no fewer than 160 personnel on intelligence gathering to tackle security challenges across the the state.
Mr Wilfred Afolabi, State Commissioner of Police (CP), who said this on Tuesday in Akure at a three-day training tagged “Basic Intelligence Course” explained that the personnel were drawn from all police divisions in the state.
Afolabi, the 45th CP in the state, explained that intelligence gathering and firmness were crucial for ensuring proactive measures, which could lead to a peaceful state.
He said that the trainees would be better positioned to bridge the existing gaps, rebuild public trust, and enhance the overall security architecture of communities across the 18 council areas of the state.
According to the CP, the trainees will leverage on intelligence gathering tools to drive policing strategies and prevent crimes in the coastal state.
“Intelligence gathering is one of the most important sections that is instrumental to breakthrough when it comes to policing, and it’s so unfortunate that it’s one aspect that is so neglected.
“When I was the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), OC Intelligence, Lagos, it gave me the opportunity to know that wherever I find myself, I should pursue the subject of intelligence gathering holistically.
“So, what we see happening today did not come by accident. And to put the icing on the cake, it falls in line with the agenda of our Inspector-General of Police, (IG), Kayode Egbetokun’s agenda.
“Part of his agenda is on capacity building because we can’t be talking about professionalism, and then we exclude training.
“So, the catalyst that brings out professionalism is training, capacity building. And you will discover that since I arrived the state, it has been my focus.
“The training will go a long way in addressing the spontaneous reactions of crimes, including kidnapping ransom, murder, arson, cultism, and other forms of violent criminality,” he said.
The CP, therefore, emphasised that intelligence gathering would remain the cornerstone of effective policing, serving as the foundation upon which operational efficiency and successful law enforcement activities were built.
