IGP Kayode Egbetokun: Setting A New Standard In Strategic Policing -By Adewole Kehinde

“One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” — Arnold H. Glasow

On Tuesday, 23rd September 2025, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, once again demonstrated his visionary leadership as he convened a crucial conference with Strategic Police Officers at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The engagement was not only timely but also a powerful reminder that policing in Nigeria demands both introspection and innovation.

One cannot help but commend the IGP for his improved command posture, which is increasingly evident across the country.

The Nigeria Police Force, under his stewardship, has displayed more coherent tactical responses to emerging threats and a clearer demonstration of supervisory presence at critical flashpoints.

This proactive stance is rebuilding confidence among citizens and reinforcing the fact that leadership at the top is indeed translating into performance on the ground.

What stands out most is the humility and honesty of the IGP in admitting that the Force is still some distance from the ideal.

He acknowledged that there is more work to be done, and there could be no better forum than this conference to critically determine how. This candour is the mark of a leader who understands that progress is not an event but a process, and that growth comes from continuous improvement.

The IGP was right in stressing that policing in Nigeria is undergoing a period of intense complexity. Threats today are no longer localised or predictable; they evolve rapidly and often overlap. As he rightly pointed out, the nation is confronting hybrid criminal actors who combine physical violence with cyber tactics, local knowledge with transnational reach, and petty motives with ideological undertones.

Armed banditry, secessionist violence, ritual killings, financial fraud, gender-based crimes, and electoral violence all compete simultaneously for police attention, stretching resources and demanding strategic agility.

Equally commendable is the IGP’s acknowledgement that the police mindset must evolve. Coordination must be seamless. Leadership must be visible and deliberate, not just within Commands but across the national law enforcement architecture.

His insistence that Command Police Commissioners and Zonal AIGs must stop delaying or underreporting breakthroughs is an urgent reminder. When successes are muted or hidden, the Force loses the opportunity to build national narratives of competence and resilience.

Public trust is not only earned in the field but reinforced in how progress is reported, shared, and demonstrated.

It is also worth noting the IGP’s firm stance that the Nigeria Police Force is not, and will never be, an enforcer for private interests. His unambiguous rejection of officers meddling in civil claims, escorting parties for land recovery, or disrupting legitimate occupations without a clear criminal basis underscores his commitment to professionalism and integrity. This is the kind of clarity that sets boundaries and restores dignity to the badge.

Perhaps the most inspiring moment of the conference was the IGP’s charge to his officers: “Let your next decision prove that you understood the charge of leadership. Let your next action reaffirm the public’s trust. Let your next report reflect vision, not just compliance.

We owe our officers in the field clarity. We owe our citizens protection. We owe our badge integrity. Above all, we owe this nation a Police Force that does not falter, even when others do.”

This is a rallying call that must not be taken lightly. It is a mandate for every officer to embody the values of service, integrity, and accountability.

The IGP must be commended for the crime reduction, as between 31st July and today, the police arrested a total of four thousand, three hundred and eighty-three (4,383) suspects across the country for various offences. These included four hundred and eighty-one (481) armed robbery suspects, two hundred and sixty (260) kidnappers, three hundred and seventy-one

(371) for murder or culpable homicide, and one hundred and sixty-one (161) for unlawful possession of firearms. We also arrested three hundred and twenty-two (322) suspected rapists, three hundred and seventy-five (375) cultists, and two thousand, four hundred and thirteen (2,413) others for various serious crimes. In the same period, we recovered seven hundred and sixteen (716) assorted firearms, twenty-one thousand, two hundred and thirty-eight (21,238) rounds of ammunition, and two hundred and twelve (212) vehicles.

Furthermore, one thousand, one hundred and thirty-eight (1,138) kidnapped victims were rescued.

During the August by-elections in Kano, 333 suspects were apprehended for offences including conspiracy, intimidation, and snatching of electoral materials. Exhibits recovered included firearms, machetes, and over four million naira in cash.

In Zamfara, the arrest of 13 bandit collaborators and rescue of 19 kidnapped victims on 12th September further reinforced our expanding operational footprint in high-risk corridors. What these operations reveal is that when Commands are aligned, supported, and purpose-driven, the results are swift and decisive.

I must also applaud the IGP for mandating the following as we approach the final quarter of the year:

* Zonal AIGs must activate multi-layered visibility policing frameworks.

* CPs must monitor and respond to threats beyond urban centres.

* Tactical teams should patrol not just highways but feeder routes and forest corridors.

* Community engagement must be intensified — not just in volume, but in sincerity.

As I commend IGP Egbetokun for his visionary leadership, I must also remind Command Police Commissioners and Zonal AIGs that leadership is not about titles but about actions. The future of policing in Nigeria will be defined not by the challenges they face but by the resolve with which they confront them.

With IGP Egbetokun at the helm, there is renewed hope that the Nigeria Police Force will rise above its past limitations to become a truly professional, trusted, and resilient institution.

Adewole Kehinde is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja. 08166240846. @kennyadewole. kennyadewole@gmail.com