Morale and Leadership Drive Police Gains, Says IGP Egbetokun
Strong leadership and renewed morale among officers are proving decisive in Nigeria’s fight against crime, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has said.
Speaking at s Strategic Police Officers Conference held on Tuesday in Abuja, the Police chief declared that the institution’s recent successes were not coincidental, but the result of “initiative, preparation, and tactical confidence” by Commands across the country.
Since the last engagement in July, the Force has arrested 4,383 suspects, recovered 716 firearms, 21,238 rounds of ammunition, and rescued 1,138 kidnapped victims.
“Each of these figures represents more than enforcement metrics; they reflect lives saved, families reunited, and communities restored to peace,” Egbetokun said.
He cited notable breakthroughs in Delta, Edo, Imo, Anambra, Oyo, Ogun, Zamfara and during the August by-elections in Kano, stressing that where leadership is intentional, results quickly follow.
“Operational success must never be the end of the story, it must be backed by accountability,” he added, urging Commands to improve reporting and ensure public confidence in police work.
The IGP also warned officers against misuse of police authority in civil disputes, particularly land matters, insisting that the Force “will never become an enforcer for private interests.”
Looking ahead to the high-risk final quarter of the year, he mandated multi-layered visibility policing, intensified community engagement, and proactive patrols beyond highways into feeder routes and forest corridors.
Egbetokun reminded senior officers that their tone sets the culture of the Force. “What you tolerate becomes your culture, and what you ignore eventually defines your legacy,” he said, charging them to lead by example.
He concluded with a call to responsibility: “We owe our officers clarity, our citizens protection, and our badge integrity.
Above all, we owe this nation a Police Force that does not falter, even when others do.”