The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has urged Nigerians to be advocates for justice, facilitators of forgiveness and champions of reconciliation in addressing the security challenges facing the nation.
Egbetokun said this at the opening of the Forgiveness, Justice, and Reconciliation Course 2, convened by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and Peace Building Development Consult, on Monday in Abuja.
He was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Community Policing, Mr Mohammed Ari, at the event.
The IGP said the Nigeria Police Force was very much aware of the fundamental role that law enforcement plays in advocating for justice, facilitating forgiveness, and championing reconciliation.
He said their actions, decisions, and interactions with the public significantly impacted the social fabric of the nation.
According to him, it is the responsibility of the police not only to enforce the law but to do so with a deep sense of fairness, compassion, and respect for human rights and the dignity of persons.
“We must be advocates for justice, facilitators of forgiveness, and champions of reconciliation.
“The country is gradually healing from some tensions that escalated during the last election cycle.
“There is a need for us as a people to take drastic steps to reconcile our differences and focus on the future by bringing together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders from various fields.
“We can share insights, learn from each other, and develop comprehensive strategies to address the complexities of conflict resolution,’’ he said.
Egbetokun said the journey towards forgiveness, justice, and reconciliation was not a tea party but inevitable, adding that it demanded courage, resilience, unshaken and unwavering commitments to peace.
He said the police were confident that the discussions, insights, and experiences shared during the course would significantly contribute to their understanding and implementation of concepts.
“The overall essence of any government is to guarantee the welfare of its people, justice, and security and of course shelter to the people.
“As we are gathered here today, we are reminded of the profound challenges that our country and the world at large are faced with that often manifest in the form of conflicts, grievances, and injustices.
“These challenges test our resolve, our humanity, and our commitment to building a better future. It is in such times that the principles of forgiveness, justice, and reconciliation become not only imperative but germane,’’ he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the course has key themes such as the history of Violence and Nigerian Security Dynamics; Concepts and Methods of Forgiveness and Justice.
Other themes are Forgiveness and Public Policy; World-view Analysis, Cross-Cultural Communication and Connections; Building a Peace Intervention Process and Truth Recovery, Trust Building, Reparation and Restitution among others
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