Personnel of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command on Monday took to the streets of Abuja for an environmental sanitation exercise as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 Police Day.
The officers focused on cleaning the Area One motor park and adjoining streets in a community outreach aimed at improving public perception. The exercise, which began at the motor park and concluded at a nearby market, saw officers sweeping streets, clearing refuse, and interacting directly with residents.
Some officers assisted residents with washing clothes, while the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, used a shop owner’s sewing machine—gestures that drew cheers and applause from members of the community.
Addressing the crowd, Commissioner Sanusi explained that the outreach formed part of programmes approved by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to foster closer ties with civilians through community engagement.
“The IGP has graciously slated programmes for us to have community outreach, medical outreach for members of the civil populace and then engage in environmental sanitation to impact civil society so they will know that we are part of them,” he said.
Sanusi further emphasized that the exercise aimed to demonstrate the importance of cleanliness and highlight the readiness of officers to serve the public in a friendly and approachable manner.
Reacting to the positive reception from residents, the police chief said the cheers reflected growing acceptance of the police by the community.
“Simply acceptability — we have been accepted by them, they love us and that’s why they are cheering us up. We are very happy and will reciprocate by giving them better services as we continue,” he added.
One resident, Saliu Aliyu, lauded the officers, describing the initiative as a commendable step towards strengthening police-community relations.
“This is a welcome development which will help boost the relationship between the citizens and the police. We want them to truly be our friend so we can all join hands together to tackle the security issues we have in the country,” he said.
The sanitation exercise forms part of a broader series of activities by the Nigeria Police to commemorate this year’s Police Day, which emphasizes community engagement and improved police-public relations. The initiative also aligns with directives from the Inspector-General of Police for commands nationwide to undertake outreach programmes, including medical services and environmental sanitation.
