By Festus Fifen

The Nigeria Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun has charged Officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force on the need to prioritize the security of life and properties as the Yuletide Season draws close noting that the Nigeria Police owes Citizens Protection

IGP Egbetokun who stated this during the periodic Senior and Strategic Police Officers conference in Abuja also charged the senior officers to prioritize the welfare of officers and men of the force who are in different fields of operation.

While addressing the officers, Egbetokun said these periodic meetings should not be seen as a ceremonial gathering nor should it be seen as a routine meeting merely to tick boxes.

In his words, ” Let this not be one more meeting we forget after the applause fades. Take every insight gained here as a mandate. 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.

” As we approach the final quarter of the year, there is no room for complacency. The so-called “Ember Months” have historically seen spikes in robbery, kidnapping, ritual killings, and highway banditry.”

Egbetokun directed that for the remaining part of the year, all Zonal AlGs must activate multi-layered visibility policing frameworks, CPs must monitor and respond to threats beyond urban centers, Tactical teams should patrol not just highways but feeder routes and forest corridors, also adding that Community engagement must be intensified — not just in volume, but in sincerity.

” Let every Command return from this conference with an operational calendar for October to December. I expect to review these frameworks personally.

” Senior Officers , the Force looks up to you – not just for supervision, but for example. Your tone becomes the culture of your Commands. If you cut corners, so will your officers. If you uphold ethics, so will they. If you dismiss misconduct, impunity will multiply. The quality of your decisions sets the tone for our institution, influences the morale of your subordinates, and shapes how citizens perceive the entire Police Force. Capacity building at this level is no longer optional. It is a duty.”

” No one rises by merely doing what is expected. The pursuit of excellence is not a one-off achievement; it is a continuous discipline. So, while we acknowledge the steps taken, we must also admit that we are still some distance from the ideal”

” Let us ground ourselves in the reality we face: policing in Nigeria is undergoing a period of intense complexity. Threats are no longer localised or predictable. We are confronting hybrid criminal actors who blend physical violence with cyber tactics, local knowledge with transnational reach, and petty motives with ideological ones. Armed banditry, secessionist violence, ritual killings, financial fraud, gender-based crimes, and electoral violence – all these compete for our attention, sometimes simultaneously and in overlapping theatres. We cannot respond with outdated strategies or reactive postures. Our mindset must evolve. Our coordination must be seamless. Our leadership must be visible and deliberate – not just within our Commands, but across the national architecture of law enforcement.”

Speaking on some packets of misconduct by men of the Force, Egbetokun says his administration will not take lightly any form of misconduct and abuse of office and privileges.

” One area that continues to cast a shadow over our institution is the misuse of police authority in civil disputes — particularly in matters relating to land. Let me reiterate without ambiguity: the Nigeria Police Force is not, and will never become, an enforcer for private interests. Officers have no business escorting parties for land recovery, disrupting legally existing occupations, or meddling in civil claims without a demonstrable criminal element. Every such incident erodes the Force’s neutrality and opens us up to disrepute. The line must be clear. And any officer who crosses it will face disciplinary consequences.”