The removal of Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) marks the end of a tumultuous chapter defined by legal gymnastics over tenure extensions and a perceived stagnation in the war against insecurity. As Tunji Disu steps into the Louis Edet House, he inherits not just a police force, but a fractured institution suffering from a deep-seated crisis of legitimacy.
For the new IGP, the task is Herculean: he must pivot from the “police-centric” arrogance of the past toward a “citizen-centric” philosophy of the future.
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has long been paralyzed by a promotion system often viewed as transactional rather than meritocratic. With 29 senior officers reportedly set to exit in this massive shake-up, Disu has a clean slate to build a leadership core based on competence.
The Agenda: Merit-Based Advancement: End the era of “godfatherism” in postings. Internal welfare reform is urgently needed. Corruption in the police often starts at the bottom because of poor pay and dilapidated barracks. A hungry officer cannot be expected to protect a fed citizen.
The image of the NPF is currently defined in the public consciousness by the roadblock, the “checkpoint bribe,” and the high-handedness that birthed the 2020 #EndSARS protests. To the average Nigerian, the uniform is a symbol of dread, not safety.
Disu must institutionalize immediate dismissal for officers involved in extrajudicial acts or extortion. The “Service” in Police Service must be purged. The force has to rebrand the force’s engagement rules. The police must transition from being a “Force” (coercion) to a “Service” (protection).
The greatest casualty of police corruption is information. In developed societies, policing is 80% intelligence and 20% kinetic action. In Nigeria, the reverse is true because citizens are afraid that providing information to the police will lead to their own victimization.
Create secure, anonymous channels for citizens to report crimes without fear of their identity being leaked to the criminals. SecondlyCommunity Policing. The force need to move beyond the rhetoric of “Community Policing” and actually integrate traditional rulers, youth leaders, and local vigilantes into a formal, supervised information-sharing network.
Policing in the 21st century is data-driven. Developed societies rely on digital forensics, widespread CCTV integration, and rapid response systems.
Disu should leverage on digital forensics with his background in the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to modernize the NPF’s tracking and cyber-crime capabilities.Body cameras should be made mandatory and the use of body-worn cameras for all officers on patrol to ensure accountability—a standard mechanism in effective global policing.
The appointment of Tunji Disu—a man often described as a “cop’s cop” with a track record of professionalism—is perhaps the last chance to save the NPF from total irrelevance.
If Disu fails to address the corruption-plagued institutional decay, the police will remain a liability to the Nigerian state. If he succeeds in making the citizen a partner rather than a target, he will not only secure the nation but also write his name in the annals of history as the man who turned the “Black and Gold” into a badge of honour. The clock is ticking. The streets are watching.
_Dr. Oto’ Drama, PhD Counterterrorism, gsgvehshsvg@gmail.com_
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