Nigeria’s Police Council Confirms Egbetokun As Inspector-General

The National Police Council has confirmed Kayode Egbetokun as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police.

The Council at its meeting on Tuesday attended by all the 36 State governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, at the State House, Abuja with President Bola Tinubu presiding confirmed Egbetokun, who has been acting as Inspector-General of Police since June 19, 2023 as substantive IGP.

President Tinubu also set up a special committee that will take a look at and work on all the gaps in the nation’s legal statutes, right from 1999 till today.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, who made this known to newsmen at the State House, Abuja, after the confirmation of IGP Kayode Egbetokun by the National Police Council, lauded the choice of Egbetokun as IGP saying the confirmation process led to extended deliberations concerning the Nigeria Police Force.

According to him: “The confirmation of the IGP prompted further discussion on the Nigeria Police Force and the President has formed a special Committee to look at all the gaps in Nigeria’s 1999 constitution with a view to bring harmony and synergy, closing technology and manpower to the Nigerian Police force.

“The committee comprise of the Minister of Police Affairs, NSA, Chairman of PSC and the Chairman of the NGF to work on common on reform agenda with a view to make sure that the Nigeria Police is reformed”, Governor Mohammed said.

Bala added that the committee consists of the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, all collaborating on a shared reform agenda to ensure the comprehensive overhaul of the Nigeria Police.

Also speaking on the confirmation of the IGP, Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun mentioned that IGP Egbetokun remarked on professionalism in the Nigerian Police Force, Community Policing and adequate funding for the Nigerian Police Force.

Abiodun disclosed that the National Police Council observed that no meaningful reforms have taken place in the Nigerian Police force since its creation in 1861.

He added that the newly set up committee will come up with ideas that would lead to reforms that will characterize the new Nigerian Police Force.

His words: “The newly confirmed IGP is adequately prepared, his CV is extremely rich, very experienced intellectually and practically. He also addressed us as a Council on the state of policing in Nigeria, amongst other things that he highlighted he spoke about the need for technology driven policing.

“The need for community-based policing, the need to ensure that required budgetary provision is provided for community-based policing which has been proven to be very effective”.

The Ogun State governor further revealed that the newly confirmed IGP also addressed the Council on major Police requirements, which involved technology-driven policing.

“The IGP also remarked on professionalism g the police canvassing that each police man will have endowed certain qualities and they should be encouraged to follow those qualities so that they can be encouraged to follow such qualities so that they will be professional.

“The issue of funding also came up and this committee of 4-5 will look at these issues that border on reforms. We observed that there have been no meaningful reforms since the establishment of the Nigerian Police Force.

“So we believe that with the newly set up committee they will come up with ideas that would lead to reforms that will characterize the new Nigerian Police Force”, he added.

Deji Elumoye in Abuja