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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
With September rolling in and the roads set to get busier, the Imo State Police Command has fired the first shot in its annual battle to keep crime down during the “ember months.”
On September 4, 2026, the state Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, gathered the heads of every major security agency in the state inside the Command headquarters in Owerri. The goal was simple: assess threats early, share intelligence faster, and make sure residents celebrate the end of the year without fear.
The meeting came weeks ahead of the period Nigerians popularly call “ember months” -September to December- a stretch marked by increased travel, commercial activity, festive gatherings, and, unfortunately, a spike in crime and road accidents.
Around the table were representatives from 10 agencies. They included the 34 Artillery Brigade, 511 Quick Response Group of the Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Nigeria Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Federal Fire Service, and the Imo State Vigilance Organisation.
For CP Bosso, the message was about coordination, not competition. “We appreciate your continued cooperation and contributions to the improved security situation in Imo State,” he told the security heads. “What we need now is sustained collaboration. Every agency must remain proactive, professional, and responsive throughout the ember months.”
The command said the session was used to review the current security situation, identify emerging threats, and tighten existing measures through enhanced inter-agency coordination and intelligence-led operations.
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The security chiefs left with three clear commitments: strengthen intelligence sharing, run more coordinated joint operations, and maintain sustained vigilance across flash-points in the 27 local government areas.
The idea is to disrupt criminal plans before they happen, rather than just respond after. That means more joint patrols, quicker information flow between agencies, and faster response times to distress calls.
CP Bosso reaffirmed the command’s resolve to protect life and property, uphold the rule of law, and respect citizens’ fundamental rights during the period. But the police said they cannot do it alone. The commissioner made a direct appeal to the public to be the command’s eyes and ears.
“I call on the good people of Imo State to support the police and other security agencies by providing timely and actionable information,” he said. “That is how we can ensure a safe and secure ember months period across the state.”
For many residents, the ember months bring a mix of excitement and anxiety. Markets get busier, families return home from across the country, and cash moves more freely. That same movement, security experts noted, is what criminals also try to exploit.
With this early meeting, Imo’s security architecture is signaling that it is not waiting for December to react. The briefings have started, the partnerships have been renewed, and the watch has begun.
As the nights get longer and the celebrations draw closer, the task for Imo’s security agencies will be to turn plans on paper into presence on the streets.
