Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has said education, research and technology remain critical to building a modern, professional and intelligence-driven police force capable of tackling emerging security challenges in Nigeria.
Disu stated this during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono on Thursday in Abuja.
The IGP sought for sustained support for the expansion and modernization of police educational institutions.
According to him, many of the complaints against the police could be traced to gaps in education and professional development.
“We realise that we cannot do our jobs without education. If you notice any lapses in what the police do, all the complaints we have against the police boil down to education,” Disu said.
He added that “Policing has gone beyond stereotypes. We want to be scientific. We need specialists in forensics, criminology, cyber security and data analytics. We want research-driven policing supported by advanced technology.”
The police chief said the Nigerian Police Force was repositioning its training institutions to align with global standards, noting that the proposed police university in Ogun State would serve as a major milestone in the force’s reform agenda.
“The future of effective policing lies in education, innovation, professionalism and strategic partnership,” he stated.
Disu disclosed that the force already has officers trained in artificial intelligence, drone operations and crime analytics, adding that the police were increasingly deploying predictive policing techniques to anticipate criminal activities.
“We are doing analytics in policing. We can predict crimes happening. At the end of the year, for example, we notice increases in fraud, accidents and other crimes. These are things that data and research help us to understand and prevent,” he said.
The IGP appealed to TETFund for continued intervention in academic infrastructure, ICT facilities, laboratories, research centres and staff development programmes for police institutions.
Responding, Echono assured the police leadership of TETFund’s continued support, describing Disu as a highly professional officer whose reputation for excellence preceded his appointment as IGP.
“TETFund has had a long history of collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force, and we will continue to strengthen that partnership,” he said.
The TETFund boss disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the establishment of a new campus of the Police Academy in Ogun State, with funds already released for its takeoff.
“We have made funds available for the takeoff facilities, and our team will begin joint inspection and evaluation with the police team immediately,” he said.
Echono urged the police leadership to ensure that the Ogun campus attains full university status within a few years to enable it access direct annual intervention funding from TETFund.
“The moment the institution becomes a full-fledged university, it will begin to enjoy sustainable annual funding just like other beneficiary institutions,” he added.
He also pledged support for specialised training programmes for police officers in areas such as technology, cyber security and advanced investigations, noting that modern crime had become more sophisticated and technology-driven.
“The only way to keep pace with evolving crime is through continuous training, specialization and innovation,” Echono stated.
