The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu said the Force arrested 1,643 suspects and rescued 1,066 kidnap victims since his assumption of office in February.
Disu disclosed this on Monday at the opening of the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO) in Owerri, Imo State, where he presented a breakdown of the police’s operational scorecard for the past eight months.
According to him, officers arrested 251 terrorists and suspected bandits, 343 murder suspects, 566 armed robbery suspects and 483 suspected cultists during that period.
He said the Force also recovered 947 firearms and more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition from criminal elements across the country.
Disu, however, acknowledged that 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.
Speaking on the retreat’s theme, ‘developing a Nigeria Police roadmap for effective management of election security’, Disu unveiled a six-point agenda to guide police deployment for Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
He said the pillars would cover early intelligence gathering, rigorous training, joint command with sister agencies, fast communication, partnership with the public and strict political neutrality.
The IGP directed that flashpoints and criminal networks be mapped immediately and that credible intelligence should reach commands in time for action, warning 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.
Disu said 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.
He also raised concerns over 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 time 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,’ setting a deadline of October 12, for a finished roadmap and election-security taskforce.
The opening ceremony held at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre, Owerri, also had in attendance 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; as well as captains of industry.
Organised annually by Lender’s Consult in collaboration with the Force Headquarters and other sponsors, CARSPO usually serves as a platform for the police management and security stakeholders to chart a way forward on effective and accountable policing.
Disu, in his remarks, also thanked Uzodinma for hosting the sixth edition of the retreat, and commended Lenders Consult Nigeria Limited for its support, saying the President’s representative had delivered a charge for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, adding that ‘the Nigeria Police Force will deliver on it.’
He thanked Tinubu for his leadership and for backing the Force with improved welfare, equipment, recruitment and funding.
The event opened with a tribute to officers who died in the line of duty, with Disu pledging continued attention to the welfare of their families and of serving personnel.
He noted that the retreat coincided with the International Day of Peace, marked globally under the theme ‘Invest in Peace -For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,’ and said the theme reflected the Force’s focus on professionalism, public trust and early action ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Disu 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.