By: ADEOSUN EWATOMI
IGP Egbetokun Mandates 'Proactive Policing' Overhaul, Recalls 566 VIP Personnel After Wave of Abductions
Abuja, Nigeria – November 27, 2025
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, today delivered a comprehensive and uncompromising address, announcing a massive strategic shift for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in response to recent high-profile mass abductions across the country.
Speaking at the Strategic Police Officers Conference held at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall, IGP Egbetokun directly addressed the incidents that have "punctured the peace," including the abduction of 38 worshippers in Kwara State (Nov. 18), 25 school girls in Kebbi State (Nov. 17), and the attack on St Mary’s Catholic School, Niger State (Nov. 21).
Public Confidence Rooted in Impact, Not Intention
The IGP acknowledged the public's concern, stating: "These incidents, though swiftly and professionally responded to, have created a momentary impression in some quarters that we are not working. We might not have been doing enough but definitely not that we are not doing anything. But as leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard; we have no excuses."
He stressed that "Peace maintained in one location but violated in another is not peace," and declared that the NPF would not rest until every abducted pupil in Niger State is rescued. Citing the successful, unhurt rescue of all victims in the Kwara and Kebbi incidents through coordinated joint operations, he established that the Force's new standard must be "unified, intelligence-driven, and operationally coordinated" action.
"I state clearly, these attacks are unacceptable, and our collective approach must shift firmly from reactive to proactive policing," the IGP mandated. "Criminal elements must not only be intercepted, they must be out-maneuvered, dismantled, and decisively subdued."
Four Pillars of Enhanced Policing Strategy
To achieve "territorial security dominance," IGP Egbetokun unveiled four enhanced strategies that all Commissioners of Police (CPs) must immediately operationalize:
* Operationalizing a Strong Native Intelligence Network:
The IGP directed CPs to deepen intelligence frameworks beyond conventional lines, stating that a dependable network is built inside "markets, transport unions, student leadership circles, farming clusters... and trusted community observers." He emphasized that this network must be lawful, ethical, and protected, urging commanders to deploy Intelligence Response Cells that analyze local patterns and map crime migration corridors to "police forward, not backward."
* Reinforcing and Empowering Community Policing Structures:
Declaring community policing as "foundational" to national security, the Force Chief directed CPs to structurally bind the police to grassroots influence networks, including traditional rulers, local hunters, and vigil groups. This involves establishing Joint Community Safety Forums and Village-Level Rapid Information Channels to signal the police before criminals fortify positions.
* Massively Increasing Policing Visibility through Coordinated Patrol Systems:
To counter the fact that "Criminals succeed most in environments where policing is sparse," the IGP ordered the public space to be "flooded with lawful deterrence." This includes dividing commands into Micro-Policing Sectors, deploying Night Confidence Patrol Teams, and optimizing patrol routes using Heat-Zone Movement Analytics. He noted, "Citizens must see us more often than they currently see criminals."
* Building Deep, Action-Driven Partnerships with Sister Security Agencies:
The IGP warned that "Security rivalry helps crime, security synergy breaks it." He demanded CPs operationalize "real partnerships not ceremonial alliances," including monthly Intelligence Roundtables, joint tactical patrols, and integrated strategic information exchange, especially in frontier states like Kebbi, Niger, and Sokoto.
Major Manpower Realignment: 566 VIP Police Recalled
The IGP confirmed the implementation of the Presidential directive on the withdrawal of police personnel deployed for VIP protection, calling it a "strategic and deliberate realignment of our national policing priorities."
He announced that 566 personnel have already been recalled and will be deployed to active policing duties. This move, he explained, is a "patriotic, forward-looking, and operationally prudent measure" to strengthen capacity for critical frontline functions such as large-scale population protection, rural and township security fortification, and intensified visibility patrols.
The Force will release detailed implementation modalities to manage the transition responsibly and prevent "misinterpretation, misinformation, and exploitation by undesirable elements."
Pre-Festive Operational Successes and AI Deployment
The speech also highlighted recent successes, providing a quantifiable basis for the Force’s capability:
Total Arrests: 8,202 suspects for various offences, including 451 armed robbers and 356 kidnappers.
Victims Rescued: 232 kidnap victims.
Contraband Recovery: 249 assorted firearms and 20,989 different calibres of ammunition.
In preparation for the highest annual travel cycle, IGP Egbetokun charged State Commands to activate Festive Deployment and Visibility Plans, including expanded Highway Patrol teams and anti-robbery dragnets. Significantly, he directed commanders to "Employ the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your policing strategies, including the use of drones and other technical assets."
Concluding his address, the IGP thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his "consistent leadership, strategic guidance, and unwavering support," and vowed on behalf of the entire Force to "justify this trust through outcomes and not excuses."