The Edo State Police Command has called for deeper collaboration between the police and Nigeria’s film industry to promote positive storytelling and strengthen public understanding of security efforts.
The spokesperson of the command, Eno Ikoedem, made the call on Tuesday in Benin City during the script conference of the movie Beyond Duty. She noted that films portraying the sacrifices of security personnel can serve as motivation for officers across the country.
She said, “For me, I think the entertainment industry should do more of this. I am really grateful that this is coming up and pray that a lot of people would take time and watch this movie.
“The movie will be encouraging for our officers who are really selfless, especially the men who are on the roads and operations.
“Operatives do a lot of work and I think that their efforts are underrated. So, I feel a movie like this means a lot to us as it boosts morale and encourages us to do more.”
Also speaking at the event, renowned actor and director, Zack Orji, described the collaboration between the police and the film industry as longstanding, and commended Ocean Portal for intentionally partnering with the Nigeria Police Force to tell its stories.
He added, “The deliberate effort made by Ocean Portal to collaborate with the Nigerian Police to tell their stories is commendable and I will urge them to keep it up.
“The film is about people, circumstances in society and our lifestyle. If we have to tell stories, we need to tell relatable stories that will impact the people in a positive way and make them to be responsible members of the society. I am happy Ocean Portal invited some of us to be part of this.”
Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Portal, Dickson Osaze, explained that the script conference was organised to bring together leading actors and producers to create an educational yet entertaining production focused on the Nigeria Police Force.
“We have many producers and actors like Zack Orji and Ngozi Ezeonu coming together to produce a film for the Nigeria Police Force which is educating as well as entertaining.
“We do a story for the Nigerian Police every year looking at the institution from a positive side. If the police should go on strike for two hours, our security is no longer guaranteed.
“We make these films to highlight the importance of the police. We have done the Greatest Oath and the Rescue. This year we are doing Beyond Duty and we did the script conference to see how well we can bring the film to Nigerians.”
Screenwriter Jovial Onyinyechi-James said the film explores themes such as patriotism and governance, while also promoting community policing and collective responsibility in tackling crime.
According to her, the production aims to encourage citizens to support security agencies and foster unity in addressing societal challenges.
