Retired IGPs offer six pathways for better Nigerian Police

The Committee of Retired Inspectors-General of Police (CRIGPs) has identified the need for the police to reclaim their rightful place in national security management.

This imperative was among six recommendations for a better police force in Nigeria that emerged at the three-day retreat of the retired IGPs held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, which concluded on Wednesday.

The retired IGPs, led by Aliyu Attah, had during the retreat decried the erosion of the primacy of the role of the police in internal security management, such that other organisations that ought to be invited only to aid were taking lead positions in guaranteeing internal security in Nigeria.

Attah argued that the consequences of the creation of other security agencies to perform primary police roles were a deepened inter-agency turf war due to overlapping responsibilities and duties and inadequate funding of the police force.

The retired IGPs noted that the performance of the police seemed to betray the expectations of the people because of the consequences of the balkanization of the police profession.

They, however, stressed that the police must earn public trust and remain focused, innovative, and proactive to be unshakeable in their position of primacy in internal security management.

Other retired IGPs present at the retreat were Sunday Ehindero, Mike Okiro, Ogbonna Onovo, Hafiz Ringim, Ibrahim Idris, and Solomon Arase.

Arase, who reeled out resolutions from the retreat, added that the ex-IGPs also identified the importance of collaboration between current and retired IGPs towards harnessing the expertise of the retired officers.

Furthermore, the committee advocated for technology-driven policing and adequate investment in the education of officers.

Another path forward for the police mentioned was the imperative of encouraging community engagement and fostering partnership.

With diligent implementation of the recommendations, the retired IGPs held that the Nigerian police would rekindle their strength, professionalism, and dedication.

In addition, the retired IGPs expressed concern about the emergent, changing, and protracted security challenges the nation faced but stressed that the serving police officers must remain focused, innovative, and proactive in the pursuit of a secure and prosperous Nigeria.

The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Mr Adebayo Lawal, who graced the closing day of the retreat, charged the police to increase their manpower, positing that the current police force was overstretched.

Lawal added that the nation needed a robust security architecture and an adequately funded police force to be able to address emergent security challenges like kidnapping, banditry, homicide, illegal mining, and armed robbery.

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