Odita Sunday 
Institutional Progress Must Accelerate- Outgoing IGP Bows Out With Reform Charge
By Odita Sunday
In a valedictory address that blended institutional reflection with a forward-looking charge, the outgoing Inspector-General of Police declared that the Nigeria Police Force has undergone decisive recalibration and now stands stronger, more accountable and strategically aligned for modern security challenges.
Speaking at the official handing-over ceremony, the former police chief described his tenure as one defined not by incremental change, but by structural reform designed to reposition the Force amid evolving threats, asymmetric violence and technologically enabled crime.
He expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the confidence entrusted to him at what he described as a defining moment in Nigeria’s security trajectory, noting that the appointment was not merely administrative, but a constitutional responsibility to safeguard internal stability.
He also acknowledged the oversight of the Police Service Commission and the collaboration of the Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, whose institutional support, he said, ensured policy coherence and reform continuity.
When he assumed office, he said, the Force faced rising civic expectations, operational gaps and the urgent need for institutional renewal.
The response, according to him, required bold recalibration.
Under his leadership, the Force strengthened intelligence-led policing architecture, expanded digital crime-tracking systems and forensic capabilities, enhanced inter-agency coordination, reinforced internal accountability mechanisms, modernised tactical assets and intensified specialised training across commands nationwide.
Targeted operations during the period, he noted, disrupted organised kidnapping networks, curtailed violent criminal syndicates and improved coordinated response capacity, particularly in previously underserved communities.
Community-centred policing, he stressed, was embedded as doctrine not rhetoric.
Welfare, Professionalism And Public Trust
Beyond operational outcomes, the outgoing IGP underscored deliberate reforms in officer welfare, including accelerated promotion processes, strengthened insurance frameworks, expanded housing initiatives and sustained investment in capacity development.
He emphasised that morale and professionalism are inseparable pillars of effective policing.
“Public trust cannot be commanded by authority; it must be earned through integrity, transparency and measurable results,” he stated, adding that reform was pursued with discipline, clarity and institutional focus.
He credited the achievements recorded to the collective resilience of officers who served long hours under high-risk conditions, confronting danger so communities might live in peace.
The stability many Nigerians enjoy today, he said, rests quietly upon their sacrifice.
He further commended sister security agencies, strategic partners and international collaborators for strengthening national security architecture and enhancing operational effectiveness.
Describing leadership in policing as custodial rather than proprietary, the outgoing IGP said no Inspector-General owns the institution; it is held in trust for the nation and future generations.
As he handed over to his successor, he expressed confidence in his competence, experience and strategic capacity, noting that the institutional foundation has been reinforced, systems recalibrated and reform trajectory clearly defined.
He charged the new leadership to consolidate gains by deepening intelligence integration, expanding technological modernisation, strengthening accountability systems and entrenching community-centred policing as an enduring operational philosophy.
“Institutional progress must not pause; it must accelerate,” he declared.
In a closing reflection to Nigerians, he said policing ultimately transcends structures, deployments and reforms it is fundamentally about trust.
It is the assurance, he explained, that when distress calls in the night, someone will answer; that when communities feel vulnerable, someone will stand between order and chaos.
“The burden of command is neither ceremonial nor light,” he noted. “It carries decisions that shape lives, responsibilities that test conviction and moments that demand quiet courage.”
He relinquished office, he said, with humility and gratitude, confident that the Nigeria Police Force stands firmer than when it was entrusted to his care.
He concluded by thanking Nigerians for the honour of service and invoked prayers for the Force and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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