IGP urges strategic police managers to embrace intelligence-driven policing 

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has urged Strategic Police Managers of the Nigeria Police Force, including Deputy-Inspectors-General of Police, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police, to embrace intelligence-driven approaches towards effective policing of the nation.

The IGP at the closing of the Second Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers held on 7^th – 9^th February, 2022 at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, reiterated the commitment of the Force to restoring its primacy and stabilizing the internal security of Nigeria. The IGP further charged participants at the retreat to strategically deploy their assets, both human and material, to drive intelligence in a bid to tackling the current internal security dynamics in tandem with his vision and mission statements.

The Retreat with the theme “The New Policing Vision: A Road Map for Stabilizing Internal Security” which was declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, had in attendance 148 senior police officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above from the whole Federation. It played host to dignitaries from governance, the security sector and the academia including Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Alhaji Haliru Jika, Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, and Alhaji Bello Usman Kumo, Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs.

The Retreat was also attended by prominent scholars and professionals in various fields such as Prof. Etannibi Alemika, Prof. Mohammed Tabiu, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu (Rtd.), CP (Dr.) Olubunmi Afolabi Ogunsanwo, Rose Alabo-George, and Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwen, who made informed presentations on Crime Trends Analysis, the role of ICT, intelligence-led policing, and public relations in transforming police operations, and the significance of a healthy lifestyle for police personnel.

The Retreat in a Communique re-affirmed the Police as the lead agency in internal security while acknowledging the importance of collaboration and synergy with other security agencies; charged strategic police managers to imbibe a professional orientation aligned to policing framework that encourages inter-agency collaboration rather than rivalry; acknowledged the significant strides of the IGP in the acquisition of critical ICT assets; emphasized the importance of a sound police-public relations as a strategy towards addressing the trust deficit in policing. The communique also emphasized on intelligence as the brain box of policing and proposed a legislation that will place an obligation on government agencies, corporate bodies, estate developers and private individuals to install CCTV cameras and security sensors on their facilities as a standard practice amongst others. The communique has been distributed to relevant stakeholders including the Office of the President, Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, Ministry of Police Affairs, Office of the Chief of Defence Staff etc.

The IGP emphasized the importance of engagement and re-evaluation of critical issues relating to internal security and policing as a key to achieving professionalism. He equally expressed immense appreciation to the government and good people of Akwa Ibom State, and other critical stakeholders for their significant roles and contributions to the success of the Conference/Retreat.