Police have kept this country together despite challenges – IG

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on Thursday, said the future of effective policing in Nigeria lies in “education, innovation, professionalism, and strategic partnerships.”

He also made a strong defence of the NPF, asserting that despite the myriad of security challenges and public criticism, the institution remains the backbone of national stability.

Disu also stressed that the Nigerian Police Force could not effectively discharge its responsibilities without investing heavily in the education and training of officers.

He stated this during a visit by him and members of his team to the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking during the visit, the IGP said, “TETFund is very vital to us as officers, because we realise that we cannot do our jobs without you. We value our education.

“If we notice any lapses in what the police do, all the complaints we have against the police boil down to education.”

He added, “And we are trying everything possible to ensure that we upgrade the kind of education we give to our police officers.

“It has been said time and time again that to destroy a nation, all you need to do is to destroy its educational system, and the nation is gone.”

Disu described the visit as strategic and significant to the police force’s reform agenda, saying, “Our visit here today is strategic and highly significant to us, especially our ongoing efforts of the Nigerian Police Force towards strengthening institutional capacity from education, researchers, and professional development.”

The police chief commended TETFund for its interventions in police educational institutions.

He noted that the interventions had improved academic environments, research capabilities, staff development, institutional infrastructure, and education standards within police institutions.

“Your assistance has helped us to position the academy as one of the leading security-oriented tertiary institutions we have in the country.

“You have really been of great assistance to us, and we appreciate it,” he said.

Disu also spoke about the establishment of a new police academy in Ogun State, describing it as part of the force’s modernization agenda.

The IGP noted, “The establishment of this university represents a major strategic milestone in the ongoing reform and modernisation agenda of the Nigerian Police Force. And you will notice this through the kind of courses we want to run in that school, in the way we are specialising,” he stated.

He stressed the need for specialised policing education, particularly in forensic science and criminology.

“You cannot do good policing without having wonderful forensic officers and a wonderful forensic department to assist you in doing your job. We need to have specialists. We need to have criminologists,” he said.

Disu said modern policing required scientific approaches and warned against stereotypes in criminal profiling.

He said the police force was now embracing research-driven policing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, drone technology, and cybersecurity.

According to him, the police had developed methods of predicting crime trends during festive periods “through research and data analysis.”

The IGP appealed for sustained support from TETFund towards the development of the new police academy in Ogun State.

“There is a strong need for sustained intervention in our academic infrastructures, national theatres and laboratories, ICT facilities, student accommodation, and research centres. Definitely, we need library, staff development programmes, innovation-driven learning facilities,” he said.

Disu also assured the agency of the force’s commitment to accountability and transparency.

The police chief further defended the efforts of the police force in maintaining national security despite challenges.

“You do not have any other police than this one that you see before you. You cannot go and employ anybody from other countries to do your policing. It is still us that will do it,” he said.

He continued, “People say we are not doing enough. Yes, we may not do what you expect us to, but it is still we who have kept the country together as it is today.”

He urged Nigerians to acknowledge positive conduct by officers while reporting misconduct appropriately.

In his remarks, the TETFund Boss welcomed the IGP and his delegation, describing Disu as a distinguished police officer whose reputation preceded him.

Echono praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing capable individuals into key positions and for prioritising police reforms.

The TETFund boss disclosed that the Police Academy in Wudil, Kano, remained one of the agency’s beneficiary institutions and confirmed support for the newly approved campus in Ogun State.

“Mr President has just approved that we have a campus of the academy in Ogun State. We made funds available for the takeoff facilities,” he said.

Echono revealed that TETFund officials and police representatives would soon conduct joint inspections of the Ogun facility.

The ES noted, “I believe by next week, they (our team) should move out along with members of your team so that they can go ahead and do the joint inspections and evaluation of the needs for effective takeoff of that campus.”

He advised the IGP to ensure the institution attained full university status before the expiration of his tenure.

“But IGP, I want to advise you that before you leave your office at the end of your term, you should make sure that the campus attains full university status,” Echono said.

The ES explained that attaining university status would guarantee direct annual funding from TETFund.

“The moment you develop it to a point where it will become a self-sustaining institution, it will be enlisted, and it will get sustainable funding from us every year,” he stated.

Echono also pledged support for specialised training programmes for police personnel, particularly in emerging security and technology-related fields.

He stressed the importance of collaboration between TETFund and the police in securing schools across the country.

“Our first line of defence is the Nigerian police. We will continue to rely on you and all the formations across the very new concreteness of this country to help us extend that protection in our schools from basic to tertiary,” The ES stated.

He added that TETFund would continue to partner with the police force on security training for educational institutions.

“We want to partner with you for the safety of our schools,” he said.

Echono noted that the visit was historic, describing it as the first by a sitting IGP to TETFund during his tenure as ES.