President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned that the Nigeria Police Force must not become an instrument of any political interest as Nigeria heads into the 2027 general election, insisting the force belongs to the nation, not to any political actor.
He gave the charge at the sixth annual Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO) in Owerri, themed: ‘Developing a Nigeria Police roadmap for effective management of election security.’
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, Tinubu said police impartiality was fundamental to public trust and the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy.
‘The police must be seen not as an instrument of any political interest, but as a national institution serving the Nigerian people and protecting the constitutional order,’ Tinubu said.
He said every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, social status or geographical location, must feel protected by the police, and charged the force to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality in its electoral duties.
He promised full support for the Police ahead of the general election, saying the Federal Government would continue to support measures to enhance the force’s operational capacity, professionalism, welfare and institutional effectiveness.
According to the President, next year’s election demanded intelligence-led operations and close coordination among security and electoral stakeholders.
‘The Federal Government expects the Nigeria Police Force to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality in the discharge of its electoral responsibilities,’ Tinubu said.
He commended Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for efforts to reposition the force, while acknowledging the sacrifices of officers battling kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, cultism and armed robbery across the country.
Also speaking at the event, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, explained that his administration’s decision to host the retreat for a third time and to continue committing state resources to security, despite policing being constitutionally a federal responsibility, was shaped by the trauma of April 5, 2021, when armed men attacked the Imo State Police Command Headquarters and the Owerri Custodial Centre, forcibly releasing 1,844 inmates.
‘Security ceases to be an abstract subject the moment fear begins to alter the ordinary rhythm of life, and the institutions expected to protect society are themselves under attack,’ Uzodimma said, adding that his administration could not treat insecurity as ‘somebody else’s assignment.’
He said prolonged insecurity carries a high economic cost, shrinking economic activity, driving businesses to shut down and pushing residents to relocate, which is why his administration has tied its security spending to its wider development agenda.
In his welcome address, IGP Disu unveiled a six-point agenda to guide police deployment for Nigeria’s 2027 general election, covering early intelligence gathering, rigorous training, joint command with sister agencies, rapid communication, partnership with the public and strict political neutrality.
Under the roadmap, the IGP directed that flashpoints and criminal networks be mapped immediately, with credible intelligence reaching commands in time for action. He warned that ‘a polling unit where these citizens feel unsafe is a polling unit where the election has already failed,’ referring to women, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Officers would be trained in crowd management, the protection of electoral materials and personnel, and human-rights-compliant policing, while joint exercises with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies would establish clear lines of command before incidents occur.
Disu also raised concerns about election disinformation, directing that fake results, forged police statements and inflammatory videos be monitored and countered swiftly, with those who incite violence online facing prosecution.
Citing lessons from the recent Osun State governorship election, which he described as largely peaceful despite isolated cases of voter intimidation and inducement, Disu ordered a review of the Force’s intelligence, response times and training gaps.
He warned that any officer who takes sides, harasses voters or colludes with political actors during the elections would be investigated and punished, and directed all Commissioners of Police to publish official contact numbers for public access.
Disu tasked the retreat with producing a practical framework for training, deployment and command structure, insisting it must not become ‘another document on a shelf,’ and set a deadline of October 12 for a finished roadmap and an election-security taskforce.
He closed his address with a call-and-response charge to officers, urging them to be ‘Neutral. Prepared. Present. Accountable’ as they return to their commands.
On the Force’s operational scorecard, Disu said police have arrested 1,643 suspects and rescued 1,066 kidnap victims since his assumption of office in February, giving a breakdown of the eight-month tally: 251 terrorists and suspected bandits, 343 murder suspects, 566 armed robbery suspects and 483 suspected cultists arrested, alongside the recovery of 947 firearms and more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition.
He acknowledged the figures offered little comfort to Nigerians still living under the threat of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence. ‘Numbers do not console a grieving family. We will not slow down on these threats because an election is coming. We will fight them and secure the elections at the same time,’ he said.
The IG paid tribute to officers who died in the line of duty and pledged improved welfare for their families and serving personnel, noting the retreat coincided with the International Day of Peace, marked globally under the theme ‘Invest in Peace -For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.’
The opening ceremony at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre, Owerri, was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), representing President Bola Tinubu; Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma; a representative of the Senate President; military and security chiefs; and captains of industry.
Organised annually by Lenders Consult in collaboration with the Force Headquarters and other sponsors, CARSPO provides a platform for police management and security stakeholders to chart a way forward for effective and accountable policing. Disu thanked Uzodimma for hosting the sixth edition of the retreat, commended Lenders Consult Nigeria Limited for its support, and praised Tinubu for backing the Force with improved welfare, equipment, recruitment and funding.
In their goodwill messages, former Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) Mike Okiro (rtd) and Usman Alkali Baba (rtd), along with the Police Service Commission (PSC), tasked the force with developing a standing roadmap covering issues ranging from criminal sponsorship of banditry to artificial intelligence- generated disinformation ahead of the general election.
Okiro said the country’ s security architecture was under severe strain, adding that unresolved allegations linking political, military, traditional and business interests to the funding of banditry and kidnapping had eroded public trust and complicated intelligence gathering.
He urged the retreat to confront the issue candidly, proposing that any roadmap should rest on three pillars: inter- agency synergy under a unified, police- led command structure involving the Army, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
He warned that police officers must resist political inducement, and that welfare and accountability for deployed personnel must take priority.
He called for closer international intelligence- sharing with INTERPOL and foreign counterparts to counter cross- border arms flows and offshore disinformation campaigns, and warned officers to prepare for fake news, AI- generated deepfakes, drone use by non- state actors, attacks on INEC facilities and attempts to kidnap candidates. He urged clear procedures for arrest, evidence preservation and prompt prosecution of electoral offenders.
Baba drew on his experience overseeing the 2023 general elections, which involved more than 176, 176,000 polling units and 93 million registered voters, and described it as one of the most complex security operations in recent history.
He attributed that outcome to planning, partnership through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, and professionalism.
The retired police chief said the approach reduced ballot-box snatching and disruption compared with earlier elections, though attacks on INEC facilities, isolated violence, and misinformation persisted.
Baba called for a standing roadmap that institutionalises lessons from the 2019 and 2023 general elections and off-cycle polls in Kogi, Imo, Edo, Ondo, and Osun states, and that embraces intelligence-led, data-driven deployment.
He identified vote-buying, drone use, and AI-generated fake news as emerging threats, and named disinformation on WhatsApp, hacking of INEC and party databases, and election-themed financial scams as the main cybercrime risks. He said the police would work with INEC, telecommunications operators, and social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok, to take down false content, and called for the protection of women, persons with disabilities, youths, and ad hoc INEC staff.
Representing the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Commissioner (PSC) Hashim Agungun (rtd) and DIG Taiwo Lakanu (rtd) commended Disu for reforms, including intelligence-led and technology-driven policing, strengthened internal accountability, community engagement, and the establishment of a Violent Crime Response Unit. He said the force had prioritised officer welfare through housing, healthcare, and prompt payment of insurance benefits, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, and had intensified training on the Electoral Act and rules of engagement for officers on election duty.
Lakanu cited the recent Osun State governorship election as an example of the force’s improved planning, including the strategic deployment of senior officers to protect voters, INEC personnel and electoral materials. He said the commission, which is constitutionally responsible for the recruitment, promotion and discipline of police personnel other than the Inspector-General, remained committed to supporting the force’s professionalism and public accountability.
Speakers urged that the retreat’s outcome translate into a practical, costed and time-bound roadmap owned by police commands, rather than end as a ‘talk shop,’ ahead of the 2027 polls.