Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector general of police (IGP), says officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will no longer serve as enforcers for private interests.
Speaking on Thursday, Egbetokun warned officers against
involving themselves in land disputes or civil matters without clear criminal
elements, adding that such actions undermine the force’s neutrality and
reputation.
“Nigeria Police Force is not and will never become an
enforcer for private interests,” he said.
“Officers have no business escorting parties for land recovery business, disrupting legally existing occupations, or meddling in civil claims without a demonstrable criminal element.”
He added that any officer found crossing this line would
face disciplinary action.
Egbetokun also inaugurated a nationwide training programme
for police operatives on the newly introduced Criminal Database Systems, which
he described as the “nervous system of 21st century Nigerian policing”.
The launch took place in Abuja “and marks a shift from
reactive policing to proactive, intelligence-led operations based on data
analysis and international cooperation”.
“This training is more than an exercise; it is a declaration
that the NPF has stepped into a new era. Without data, there is no memory.
Without memory, there is no justice. But with data, there is no hiding place
for criminals,” Egbetokun added.
The IGP acknowledged that poor record-keeping, fragmented
intelligence, and scattered files have long been weaknesses in Nigerian
policing, often resulting in stalled prosecutions and diminished public trust.
He vowed that the new system would end the era of “forgotten
files”.
“With the support of the Federal Government and our
partners, we are building a system where every arrest is recorded, every case
is documented, and every officer is accountable. No case will vanish into
forgotten files. No conviction will disappear into silence,” he said.
Egbetokun said the database would enhance domestic law
enforcement and align Nigeria with global policing standards.
He noted that the platform will integrate with INTERPOL, the
African Union Border Programme, and UNODC frameworks, ensuring that criminals
convicted in Nigeria cannot evade justice abroad.
“When a trafficker is convicted in Nigeria, the world must
know. When a weapon is seized at our borders, its trail must echo across
continents,” the police boss declared.
He urged the first batch of officers undergoing training to
view themselves as custodians of the nation’s crime data.
“Every case you enter, every record you preserve, every link
you verify, will strengthen justice in our nation. You are not merely handling
files; you are safeguarding the future,” Egbetokun said.
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