Mr Fatai Tijani, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, says the days of citizens fearing the police are over as the command steps up efforts to win public trust through community policing.
Tijani said this on Friday while speaking with newsmen at the command headquarters in Lagos, ahead of the 2026 Police Week starting Monday.
Tijani assumed office on Thursday as the 42nd Commissioner of Police for Lagos State.
He said the week-long event aims to boost police-public relations, noting that modern policing relies on cooperation, respect, and trust.
“The era of fear is gone. The police are the people and the people are the police. We are here to serve, not intimidate,” he said.
The commissioner said the theme of this year’s Police Week was focused on building and sustaining public trust through partnership, noting that without the confidence of the people, effective policing would be difficult to achieve.
He said that the initiative, which had been introduced a few years ago but experienced a brief interruption, was being revitalised to align with global standards of community policing.
Tijani listed activities planned for the week across the state, starting with sanitation drives and a medical outreach offering free healthcare to residents.
He said police medical personnel would handle the outreach, part of efforts to give back and show the human side of policing.
“Other activities include a road walk involving officers to demonstrate fitness and operational readiness, as well as public sensitisation campaigns on electoral violence, cultism, and safe driving,” he said.
The commissioner stressed the campaigns’ importance, especially with elections nearing, warning that electoral violence would not be tolerated and urging citizens to avoid actions that disrupt peace.
“We must all work together to ensure a peaceful environment, the police cannot do it alone. We need the cooperation of the public,” he said.
The police boss stressed the role of intelligence gathering, saying the public remains a key source of information in fighting crime.
“Information is key, the community knows what happens within their environment, and we rely on them to help us tackle criminal activities,” he said.
He said as part of the programme, the command would honour fallen officers by presenting cheques to their families, reaffirming the force’s commitment to personnel welfare.
He assured that officers had been warned against human rights abuses, stressing that professionalism, discipline, and respect for citizens’ rights will be enforced.
“There is no room for brutality. Even suspects have rights, and they must be treated with dignity,” he said.
According to Tijani, the Police Week will end with a grand finale in Abuja on April 7, alongside similar activities nationwide.
He urged residents and the media to support the initiative by spreading awareness and participating, saying the police are partners in progress, committed to citizens’ safety.
“The police are your friends. Together, we can build a safer society,” he said.
