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Zoologists believe that some animals renew their skins yearly purposely to: Grow larger, ward off parasites, repair damage and maintain good health. In this clime, the police also annually “renew” their “skin”. The officers and men of the Nigerian police do this as they gather annually to introspect, review successes, restrategize and devise new policing techniques. This is the annual police conference. The yearly police conference started in 2023 and for the 2026 edition of the conference, Owerri, the serene and beautiful capital of Imo state is the host city. Police Chiefs and stakeholders have traveled to the Imo State capital for the event because, figuratively speaking, “the road is good” (Uzodinma). Uzo Imo dinma( Imo roads are good) and this is because the man at the helm of affairs of the state is himself Uzodinma – Governor Hope Uzodinma, a man intentional about infrastructural development of his state. Governor Uzodinma’s transformational and progressive leadership have ensured that Imo road infrastructure is topnotch. As the men, officers and top echelon of the police converge in Owerri to brainstorm, it is expected that at the end of the conference a brand new Nigerian police in terms of improved relationship with members of the public, behaviour, mannerism, operational techniques, policing etc we will emerge. If you like, you can tag it shedding of an old skin or skin renewal, the important thing is that the police will emerge from the conference better!
Already there have been noticeable improvement in the conduct of police personnel and this is attributable to the doggedness and reformational leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu. I have no doubt that the Police High Command will dutifully implement all the policy decisions that will be emanating from the conference in Owerri. This year’s Conference of Senior Police Officers (CARSPO) was officially declared open by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume
In his address, the President warned the Nigerian Police Force against becoming an instrument of political interests in the 2027 general elections, insisting that its loyalty must be to the Nigerian people and the constitutional order.
He said every Nigerian, irrespective of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, social status or geographical location, must enjoy equal protection from the Police as the country moves towards another election cycle. The conference, themed “Developing a Nigerian Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections”, is expected to develop strategies for policing the 2027 elections. The President assured the police of the Federal Government’s support to effectively discharge its electoral security responsibilities, adding that securing elections went beyond protecting ballot papers and polling stations. According to him, election security must also guarantee the safety of voters and electoral officials, protect election materials, provide an atmosphere for peaceful campaigns and prevent violence and intimidation. The Nigerian leader maintained that meaningful police reform required sustained investment in personnel, training, technology, intelligence infrastructure, operational logistics, welfare and institutional systems. President Tinubu consequently tasked the Force with strengthening intelligence gathering, improve response times, deepen community engagement, deploy technology and enhance inter-agency cooperation, noting that criminal networks were becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The president , however, said the security expectations of Nigerians remained high and urged officers to strengthen public confidence through discipline, accountability, professionalism and respect for citizens’ rights and dignity. He charged senior officers at the retreat to ensure that their deliberations produced a practical roadmap that would strengthen election security, improve operational preparedness and deepen public confidence.Tinubu stated that the objective should extend beyond the 2027 polls to building a modern, professional, technology-enabled, intelligence-driven and citizen-centred police service capable of responding to the security demands of a rapidly changing society.
This year’s conference attracted former Inspectors- General of police: Alkali Baba and Sir Mike Mbama Okiro. In his remark IGP Disu harped on next year’s elections and warned politicians against engaging in thuggery, vote-buying, and intimidation. The IGP identified impunity as the greatest encouragement of electoral crimes.He urged political actors to compete with ideas rather than hiring thugs. IGP Disu charged police officers to lead by example, uphold the highest standards of professionalism, remain impartial, and ensure the strict protection of voters, electoral officials, and materials.
On operational framework, the IGP unveiled a six-pillar security framework designed to streamline police response and inter-agency coordination before, during, and after the 2027 polls. Disu pledged that under his watch, accountability and reforms will be policing template. He reiterated his commitment to intelligence-led and technology-driven policing, announcing the strengthening of internal accountability units like the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) and the X-Squad to check police misconduct.
At the conference, Disu formally inaugurated the Steering Committee on the Establishment of State Police to review how localized policing can improve community-level crime prevention.
In his presentation, Okiro focused on modern threats the 2027 elections will likely face but expressed optimism that the force was prepared for unconventional security challenges, highlighting the risks of AI-generated deepfakes, online disinformation, and the use of drones by non-state actors. Okiro alao raised concerns over the sponsoring of criminals, bandits and called for a concrete roadmap on how to cub insecurity in the country. The former IGP further asked the current leadership of the Nigerian Police to design a clear, preemptive security blueprint to counter evolving threats before the 2027 poll.
In his brief remark, Alkali Baba highlighted the necessity of analyzing evolving internal and internet security trends to protect the electoral ecosystem from modern policing. He offered strategic goodwill advice to support the serving leadership’s focus on technology integration, intelligence operations, and violent-crime responses
Chairman of the Police Service Commission who was represented by Deputy Inspector-General of police, DIG, Taiwo Lakunu commended the police for thinking ahead of the 2027 general election.He pointed out that the ability of the Police to provide a secure, peaceful and impartial environment in which citizens can exercise their franchise freely is fundamental to democratic governance and commended Disu and his management team for the various reforms and initiatives being introduced to reposition the Nigeria Police Force among which are greater emphasis on intelligence-led and technology-driven policing, strengthened internal accountability mechanisms.
The PSC chairman urged the police to improve on community engagement and enhanced operational coordination, citing the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit as one example of this renewed operational approach.
He acknowledged that there have also been significant efforts towards improving the welfare of police personnel and identified housing, healthcare and the prompt payment of insurance and welfare benefits as important components of police morale. He urged the police to for improve the response time for combating crime, urging closer ties with Police Trust Fund for the welfare of officers and men who stands between the citizen and danger. He urged the Police to remain professional, impartial, disciplined and firmly guided by the Constitution and the law in the discharge of electoral responsibilities arguing that as senior officers, they occupy a strategic position in translating policy into operational reality. “The decisions you take, the example you set and the manner in which you lead your men and women will ultimately determine the effectiveness and public perception of the Force, he added”.
