Odita Sunday
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has declared that the Nigeria Police Force must rise above routine enforcement and embrace a culture of ethical leadership, strategic innovation, and deliberate accountability.
Speaking at the Strategic Police Officers’ Conference on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall, Egbetokun said the gathering was not a ceremonial meeting but “a call to leadership, an audit of performance, and a moment of recalibration.”
“The nation looks to this room not for promises or applause, but for vision, strategy, and execution. What defines our tenure is not the number of suspects we parade, but the culture we shape, the standards we enforce, and the confidence we restore in the uniform we wear,” the IGP charged.
The police chief warned that Nigeria was facing “hybrid criminal actors” who deploy violence, cyber tactics, and transnational reach, stressing that outdated strategies would no longer work.
“We cannot respond with reactive postures. Our coordination must be seamless. Our leadership must be visible and deliberate,” he declared.
He noted that between July 31 and September 23, the Force arrested 4,383 suspects, including 481 armed robbery suspects, 260 kidnappers, 371 for murder, and 322 rapists. Within the same period, 716 firearms, 21,238 rounds of ammunition, and 212 vehicles were recovered, while 1,138 kidnapped victims were rescued.
“Each figure represents lives saved, families reunited, and communities restored to peace,” he said.
The IGP recounted major breakthroughs across Delta, Edo, Imo, Anambra, Oyo, Ogun, and Zamfara States, including the rescue of hostages, recovery of weapons, and the dismantling of IPOB/ESN strongholds.
He stressed that these successes were “not accidental but the result of initiative, preparation, and tactical confidence.”
Egbetokun warned officers against dragging the Force into private disputes, particularly land matters.
“The Nigeria Police Force is not, and will never become, an enforcer for private interests. Any officer who crosses this line will face disciplinary consequences,” he stated firmly.
With the yuletide season approaching, the IGP mandated Zonal AIGs and State Commissioners of Police to activate multi-layered visibility policing, intensify community engagement, and patrol not only highways but feeder routes and forest corridors.
“Let every Command return with an operational calendar for October to December. I will review these frameworks personally,” he ordered.
Egbetokun concluded with a stern reminder: “If you cut corners, so will your officers. If you uphold ethics, so will they. What you tolerate becomes your culture, and what you ignore defines your legacy. We owe our badge integrity, and we owe this nation a Police Force that does not falter.”