Aleke Aleke in Abuja
Gallantry, with respect to law enforcement, is always a virtue found only in officers who take some steps ahead of criminal elements. Gallant officers are calculative and always pro-active. They are not given to reactive measures when it comes to nipping criminal intent in the bud. It is the norm in the Nigeria Police Force like other security agencies of the State for “Gallantry” to be one of the criteria for the choice of who becomes the Inspector General of Police or head of any of the other agencies.
With the current efforts of the Nigeria Police Force in combating vices like armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and the likes under the leadership of Dr. Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector General Police (IGP), it is obvious that gallantry is at work and this is a further confirmation that his choice as the nation’s number one police officer at this time in history was not accidental. To the un-discernible mind, the choice of who becomes the IGP may be taken for granted but the truth is that it comes through a rigorous process that takes into account, the pedigree of the personality in terms of educational background, physical fitness, operational acumen, administrative astuteness, reliability and above all, a patriotic disposition. Egbetokun rightly possesses excellent credentials in all these. He is unarguably a square peg in a square whole.
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Building on the earlier foundation of his predecessors, Egbetokun from his assumption of office has shown readiness to take the stakes higher in crime prevention, crime fighting and so on. Since his assumption of office as Inspector General of Police, he has not left anyone in doubt as to his determination to leave the Nigeria Police Force better than he met it. Towards achieving this, in the past 20 months he has been on the saddle, he has taken some heart-warming steps that endear him to discerning members of the public. As a highly distinguished officer who understands the letters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Africa Charter on Humans and the Nigerian Constitution with respect to the rights and dignity of persons, IGP Egbetokun has been operating within the limits of his statutory powers by not adopting anti-people tendencies in managing the Force.
With respect to fighting the most dreaded violent crimes in the country, the Nigeria Police Force under his watch has upped its game in curbing armed robbery and kidnapping incidents amongst others. In 2024 alone the Nigeria Police Force achieved major successes in tackling crime, leading to the arrest of 30,313 suspects for a range of serious offenses, including kidnapping, cultism, murder, rape, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms. In addition, the police under Egbetokun’s watch recovered 1,984 assorted firearms, 23,250 rounds of ammunition, 1,438 stolen vehicles, and rescued 1,581 kidnapped victims. With some renewed energy police have intensified their efforts in the fight against kidnapping in particular and this in recent time has led to remarkable successes. An example is the rescue of one Nigerian and three Indian nationals on June 30, 2024, in Ogun State, where despite being ambushed by the kidnappers, the victims were safely rescued, while two of the kidnappers were neutralized in a subsequent raid. There have been some other achievements in that respect.
While the average Nigerian on the street would always perceive officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force from the negative point of view due to the bad attitude of some elements in the Force, the truth remains that fighting crime of any type in Nigeria is a herculean task. Even Egbetokun himself admitted this, during one of his interactions with Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police when he emphasized that “policing in Nigeria is an endeavour fraught with complexities and obstacles, ranging from insurgent activities and armed banditry to varying other criminal syndicates and communal clashes.”
Remarkably, in the process of combating the various crimes, some gallant officers and men have paid the supreme price whilst several others are still grappling with various degrees of injuries sustained in the unending battles with men of the underworld. The abduction and killing of six police personnel during a Special Operation at Evil Forest, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, on 26th February, 2024 was a sore testament to the hazards confronting the police every day as they strive to keep our country safe.
Beyond fighting robbery, kidnapping, cultism, officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force are not left out in the fight against cybercrimes which in recent time escalated with the advent of access to modern technology especially by youths who are bent of getting quick riches. Under the watch of IGP Kayode Egbetokun detectives in November, 2024 uncovered a major fraud operation, recovering N3.9 billion and arresting individuals linked to a multi-bank scam. It was a well coordinated raid by detectives which led to the capture of 130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals, involved in global cybercrime operations.
With Egbetokun, it is not all about fighting criminals but also being conscious of the welfare of those who are the crime fighters. Walking his talk with respect to the welfare of his officers, Egbetokun has gone ahead to improve on the situation he met on ground on assumption of office as IGP. He has made the welfare of police officers a top priority. One such strategy of achieving this, was the launch of the Nigeria Police Insurance Company which aims at improving officers’ insurance and welfare packages. Over N12 billion in insurance payouts had been distributed to 4,223 beneficiaries of the NPF Group Life Insurance Scheme according to records. Under his watch also, widows of fallen officers have continued to receive payment cheques for the loss of their husbands while in service.
As a gallant officer himself, Egbetokun does not fail to recognize gallantry whenever he comes across any of his officers and men with such character. This; undoubtedly has helped him in making what some people have described as right decision in the choice of officers to man certain positions irrespective of tribal inclination. A good number of postings he has made over time confirms the fact that his choice is propelled by gallantry, efficiency and ability to deliver irrespective of where the officer comes from. A good example is the appointment of tactical Commanders, from the northern part of Nigeria to head the elite squads of the Force.
With a policy of putting the right persons in the right positions towards fighting crime across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Egbetokun is sure to achieve more results in his tenure as the Inspector General of Police. His readiness and commitment towards confronting criminal elements in the country if sustained and not whittled down by political interferences; would surely help to redefine our country’s poor rating at the international level where it is largely believed that Nigeria is a country with high level of insecurity.
