Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), has declared that a Police Officer must, at all times, possess a thorough knowledge of the law, police orders and instructions while also developing the virtues of efficiency, courtesy, tact, integrity and impartiality.
Argungu, who delivered a keynote at a high-level workshop in Abuja on September 15, 2025, stressed that the future of policing and security in Nigeria can no longer be framed around the traditional narratives of unemployment, poverty or out-of-school children.
Speaking on “Ethics, Mental Health and the Future of Policing and Security in Nigeria” with the theme “Command Leadership for Ethical and Trauma-Informed Security Response”, the PSC boss emphasized ethics and mental health training as the foundation of policing conduct.
> “Officers exercise wide discretion in enforcing the law. Without ethics, discretion becomes abuse. Ethics remains the bedrock of professional policing,” he stated.
Argungu highlighted that police stress emanates from operational factors such as trauma exposure, organizational problems like poor leadership and equipment shortages, and personal pressures including family or financial difficulties. He warned that unchecked stress could lead to burnout, substance misuse, depression and even suicide among officers.
On medical standards for recruitment, the PSC Chairman said candidates must undergo full health screening to ensure they are free of impediments such as knock knees, speech defects, defective eyesight, bent limbs, flat feet or other physical abnormalities.
Looking ahead, Argungu identified new threats to security: the weaponisation of social media, the spread of malicious digital content, and the activities of hooligans mobilised by political or criminal elements.
He insisted that 21st-century officers must receive training in digital crimes and the impact of technology on security, business and daily life.
PSC Chair Tasks Officers on Ethics, Mental Health, Says Future of Policing Lies Beyond Conventional Threats
