The Nigeria Police Force, in partnership with the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPi), has launched a three-day training programme to deepen grassroots intelligence gathering, improve public safety, and prevent crimes across Nigeria.

The “Community Intelligence Gathering Training” is being jointly organised by the Force Intelligence Department (FID) and ECAPI. It will run from 26 to 28 June, targeting police officers and selected community stakeholders.

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, ECAPI spokesperson Anazia Daniel said the initiative is part of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun’s broader reforms to institutionalise community policing and rebuild public trust in security institutions.

“The programme is designed to equip participants with practical tools and strategies to identify, analyse, and share intelligence in real-time,” Mr Daniel said.

According to the statement, the training will foster closer collaboration between the police and citizens, enabling a proactive approach to crime detection and response.

The statement stated that Eniola Samuel, ECAPI’s President and Chief Superintendent (CSP) in the Nigeria Police, praised the IGP’s commitment to strategic public-private security partnerships.

He stated that the training aims to leverage the expertise of the FID to train Special Private Detectives (SPY) as investigators in gathering high-quality intelligence to support the police and other law enforcement agencies.

“The collaborative approach to crime prevention and community safety seeks to strengthen the relationship between the police and the community, building trust, improving response times, and ultimately reducing crime.

Mr Samuel stressed that the special private detectives are expected to provide valuable insights by leveraging their specialised skills and expertise to drive policing strategies.

Also speaking at the event, the National Training Coordinator of the Police/ECAPI initiative, Reagan Onuoha, a detective, described the programme as a “national intervention.”

“As we launch this Community Intelligence Gathering Training, we are not just building skills; we are building a network of watchful eyes, ears and trusted voices across communities who will serve as a silent but powerful security force for Nigeria,” Mr Onuoha said.

“The trainees, known and addressed as Community Intelligence Agents, or CIA, will be the game-changers in the fight against crime and other social vices.

“They will be the bridge between the police and the community, providing real-time intelligence to help the police and other law enforcement agencies stay one step ahead of criminals. We are excited to see the impact these agents will make in making our communities safer and more secure.”

He said participants are drawn from diverse sectors of society, including religious leaders, youth advocates, artisans, professionals, and traders, ensuring grassroots perspectives are central to intelligence-gathering efforts.

This is not the first collaboration between ECAPI and the Nigerian Police Force.

At ECAPI’s 2023 National Security Summit in Lagos, themed “Intelligence Gathering and Community Policing as Panacea to Solving Insecurity Challenges in Africa,” the organisation urged security agencies to value contributions from children, artisans, and faith groups in intelligence work.

“We’ve all witnessed the increasing wave of crime and insecurity in the country,” Mr Samuel said at the summit.

“Government and security agencies alone cannot tackle this threat. Every citizen must join hands to ensure a safer, peaceful society.”

In 2022, ECAPI and the Lagos State Police Command co-hosted the Police/ECAPI Undercover Executive Training Programme, which taught participants how to distinguish between raw information and actionable intelligence and how to manage intelligence ethically and professionally.

Samuel Obinuga, Programme Director of ECAPI and Chair of the planning committee for the 2022 training, said ECAPI’s alliance with the police strengthens nationwide crime-prevention efforts.

“We work hand-in-hand with law enforcement agencies to stop crime. That’s why they call us ‘Crime Stoppers,’” he said.

“Ahead of the last general elections, we launched anti-violence campaigns in communities nationwide to promote peaceful participation.”

Mr Obinuga added that ECAPI’s long-term goal is to support national security through citizen awareness and grassroots vigilance.

“Security is everyone’s responsibility, not just the government’s,” he said. “Leaders must adopt open-door approaches to engage all sectors of society.”