By Solomon OKPO
UYO, In a renewed effort to address the growing threat of violence extremism in Akwa Ibom State, the Community Policing Partners (COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding), under the aegis of the Partnership Against Violence Extremism (PAVE) Network, has convened a high-level advocacy and partnership meeting with critical stakeholders.
The engagement, funded by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) through ActionAid Nigeria, followed a series of advocacy visits to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) whose mandates are vital to preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) in the state.
Thirty-three organisations and agencies participated in the meeting, where stakeholders identified key challenges fueling extremist tendencies, including poor civil-military relations, political interference in law enforcement, inadequate border security, maritime crimes, poor inter-agency cooperation, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Other concerns raised were inadequate funding for security agencies, public distrust of uniformed personnel, unnecessary arrests without investigation, and the failure of some community leaders to resolve disputes that could escalate into violence.
To address these challenges, the forum proposed quarterly stakeholder meetings, starting October 30, 2025, regular training for community leaders, improved collaboration between the media and security agencies, stricter punishments for perpetrators of violence, and robust funding for security institutions.
The meeting also highlighted opportunities to strengthen community policing, improve civil-military relations through value reorientation, and rebuild public trust in security agencies.
Participants concluded that sustained engagement, clear community-based strategies, and strong political will are critical to reducing extremist threats in Akwa Ibom. They warned that without intentional government action, existing efforts might only scratch the surface of the problem.
COMPPART stressed that preventing and countering violent extremism requires active participation from both government and citizens, with community leaders taking the frontline role in ensuring peace and security.
