Ayo Oyoze Baje
“I made this decision for you to assume this responsibility. I know your record. I saw the dedication you exhibited while you were in Lagos when I was governor.
“Lead firmly but fairly, demand professionalism at every level”
-President Bola Tinubu ( while swearing in the new IGP, Disu )
The recent appointment and decoration of IGP Olatunji Disu as the 23rd Acting Inspector General of Police by President Bola Tinubu, though hailed by some observers of Nigeria’s political landscape as “a round peg in a round hole”, comes at a challenging period of the hydra-headed insecurity that calls on him to tighten his belt https://urbanexpresslive.com/grid-asset-tinubu-constitutes-committee-to-manage-smooth-saillinng-incorporation/
What more, this is indeed, a critical moment when the battle against Boko Haram, ISWAP, Lakurawa, Mahmuda insurgents and the emboldened bandits has informed the partnership with the United States military to clip their widening wings; when the Iran- US / Israel warfare is escalating, when the call for state police is getting louder by the decibel, all
ahead of the 2027 polls.
The tense situation, therefore, heightens as public expectations soar with the hope that Disu would do the needful to restore public confidence in the police force as he assumes its leadership. But first, it should be known that by the statutory functions,
the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in Nigeria is the head of the Police Force, responsible for command, operational control, and maintenance of law and order. Appointed by the President on the advice of the Police Council, the IGP implements policies, ensures national security, and manages police personnel and resources
All of these are well spelt out in Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which establishes the Nigeria Police Force as the sole, centralised police force for the country, responsible for maintaining internal security, enforcing laws, and protecting lives and property. It mandates that no other police force shall be established for the federation.
With specific regard to Disu, he comes up with a proud pedigree as a police officer who knows his onions, having done well as
the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command between 2015 and 2021. Sequel to that was his tenures as Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State, both of which expanded his professional trajectory as a well-heeled crime fighter. This was amply exhibited when he took over the leadership of the Intelligence Response Team from Abba Kyari. All eyes are, therefore, currently fixated on him to see how well he justifies the immense confidence reposed in him, not only the president but millions of expectant citizens, as well.
As the governor of Osun state, Ademola Adeleke aptly captured in his appraisal of Disu’s appointment: “Having Mr Disu as the head of the country’s police is quite a masterstroke, given his deep knowledge about most parts of Nigeria, as only a few policemen have had the privilege of serving in all the six zones of the country.
“Even more, Mr Disu is widely believed to be strict with the law and testimonies of Nigerians about him so far showed that he will make a good police chief, winning back the trust of Nigerians for the force.” So, what, in essence, should be the solid steps to take as the police helmsman? That is the all- important question. But the answers are not far-fetched.
To begin with, the focus should shift to improved and sustainable welfare of the long-suffering police officers. Over the decades, their welfare has been generally described as abysmally low, poor and suboptimal. These are characterized of course, by inadequate housing, low pay package, and insufficient insurance. The consequences are telling on their performance on the field, which significantly hampers personnel morale and effectiveness. Despite efforts by the Nigeria Police Trust Fund to improve medical services, the supply of needed equipment, and living standards, deep-rooted issues still persist. These include poor retirement benefits, even under the current contributory pension system, leading to post-service hardship.
Another significant aspect to upgrade is the below-the- par poluce- to- the citizens ratio. For instance, Nigeria’s police-to-citizen ratio is approximately 1:600 to 1:650, significantly below the United Nations (UN) recommended standard, which is widely cited as 1:400 to 1:450. Currently, with a population of over 235 million and around 370,000 officers, Nigeria needs about 190,000 additional personnel to meet the UN benchmark. Definitely, this manpower shortage is one critical issue the Disu-led Nigeria Police Force has to tackle. That will boost the morale of the officers in service, with more hands on deck to guarantee security to the citizens.
But for those hands to make the desired impact, training and retraining of the police officers has become an imperative. And to align with the global standards on service delivery in the security matrix, the deployment of modern technology and intelligence gathering, and the application of such should become the rule rather than the exception. In that regard
The Force Intelligence Bureau must be bolstered along with integrated data systems anchored across commands.
The dynamics of technologically – driven crime assessment means updating facts and figures with up-to-date recalibration. The mapping, therefore, encapsulates cyber fraud networks, digital surveillance, encrypted communications, and
financial crimes. The officers should be digitally literate by
exposing them to international best practices, assisting with essential biometric databases, forensic laboratories, and digital tracking systems.
Eventually, tracking crimes and dealing with them will literally take place at the speed of virtual communication. But the bitter truth is the involvement of sufficient funding, made available as at when due without excuses.
Within the rank and file of the NPF, it is necessary to have officers who are an embodiment of discipline, processes that are transparent and actions that are in the national interest. These should be devoid of fraud, threats, intimidation and parochial sentiments to epitomise professional excellence
By frequent communication between the police and the people through community dialogue, confidence would be built to share vital intelligence information that would ease the tracking of crimes and criminality.
With that done, at the end of the day, public confidence will be restored to rebrand the image of the Nigeria Police damaged by the police brutality on
#EndSARS protesters, as well as the recurring issues of extortion, unlawful detention, and taking sides with the favoured political allies during elections.
Given the expected challenges of the unrelenting onslaught by all manner of terrorists and insurgents on innocent citizens, the preparation for the 2027 general elections and the heightened tension between Iran on one side and the US/ Israel allies on the other, Disu should do all he and his tested team can to be well prepared and proactive through Public Private Partnerships.
Others should include partnership with related MDAS on the fight against crimes, such as the military, NSCDC, DSS, FRSC, EFCC and ICPC. With that, success is assured.
