By Miriam Humbe
In the third quarter of 2025, the Nigeria Police arrested 481 Robbery Suspects, 260 kidnappers, 371 for murder, 161 for Illegal firearms possession, 322 suspected rapists, 375 cultists and 2,413 for sundry serious crimes.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun said this in an address at the strategic Police Officers Conference which held on Tuesday, at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall in Abuja.
IGP Egbetokun commended the police operatives for their dedication and commitment to the crime fight and called for seamless coordination to achieve more.
Here’s a full text of the IGP’s Speech:
SPEECH BY THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE, IGP KAYODE ADEOLU EGBETOKUN, Ph.D., NPM, AT THE STRATEGIC POLICE OFFICERS CONFERENCE, HELD AT THE GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN PEACEKEEPING HALL, ON TUESDAY, 23RD SEPTEMBER, 2025
1.Senior Officers, I welcome you all to this Strategic Conference. This is not a ceremonial gathering, and it is certainly not a routine meeting to merely tick boxes. It is a call to leadership – an audit of our performance, a stocktaking of our direction, and a moment of deliberate recalibration.
We sit at the helm of a Force whose relevance is constantly tested, whose every action is scrutinised, and whose leadership must never be found wanting.
The nation looks to this room – not for promises or applause – but for vision, strategy, and execution. What ultimately defines our tenure is not the number of suspects we parade, but the institutional culture we shape, the standards we enforce, and the confidence we restore in the uniform we wear.
Since our last Conference, we have witnessed encouraging signs of progress. The operational and behavioural charges I issued during our July engagement were not ignored – I have seen them echoed in the field, reflected in improved Command posture, more coherent tactical responses, and a clearer demonstration of supervisory presence at critical flashpoints.
These gains are commendable, but excellence cannot thrive where compliance is selective. Some Commands are still short of full adherence, and that must change if we are to move as one Force.
However, no one rises by merely doing what is expected. The pursuit of excellence is not a one-off achievement; it is a continuous discipline.
So, while we acknowledge the steps taken, we must also admit that we are still some distance from the ideal. There is work to be done, and there is no better forum than this one to determine how.
3. Let us ground ourselves in the reality we face: policing in Nigeria is undergoing a period of intense complexity. Threats are no longer localised or predictable. We are confronting hybrid criminal actors who blend physical violence with cyber tactics, local knowledge with transnational reach, and petty motives with ideological ones.
Armed banditry, secessionist violence, ritual killings, financial fraud, gender-based crimes, and electoral violence – all these compete for our attention, sometimes simultaneously and in overlapping theatres. We cannot respond with outdated strategies or reactive postures. Our mindset must evolve.
Our coordination must be seamless. Our leadership must be visible and deliberate – not just within our Commands, but across the national architecture of law enforcement.
4. In the face of these complexities, the Nigeria Police Force has continued to rise with determination and agility. Across various Commands, we have recorded results that reflect not just tactical competence, but the early fruits of recalibrated leadership.
The past two months have yielded high-impact interventions, coordinated rescues, weapons recoveries, and targeted arrests – outcomes that show our resolve to dominate criminal spaces and reclaim public confidence.
But beyond the numbers lies a more important truth: where leadership is intentional, results follow.
While specific case victories speak volumes, it is also crucial to take stock of our national operational footprint.
Between 31st July and today, we arrested a total of four thousand, three hundred and eighty-three (4,383) suspects across the country for various offences.
These included four hundred and eighty-one (481) armed robbery suspects, two hundred and sixty (260) kidnappers, three hundred and seventy-one (371) for murder or culpable homicide, and one hundred and sixty-one (161) for unlawful possession of firearms.
We also arrested three hundred and twenty-two (322) suspected rapists, three hundred and seventy-five (375) cultists, and two thousand, four hundred and thirteen (2,413) others for various serious crimes.
In the same period, we recovered seven hundred and sixteen (716) assorted firearms, twenty-one thousand, two hundred and thirty-eight (21,238) rounds of ammunition, and two hundred and twelve (212) vehicles.
Furthermore, one thousand, one hundred and thirty-eight (1,138) kidnapped victims were rescued.
6. Each of these figures represents more than enforcement metrics; they reflect lives saved, families reunited, and communities restored to peace. Behind every number is an officer who faced danger, took a calculated risk, and displayed courage beyond measure.
These accomplishments are a testament to your skill, training, and unwavering commitment to the people of Nigeria.
7. To illustrate the nature of our work, allow me to highlight a few operations of particular note:
On 4th August, operatives in Delta State, in synergy with local security groups, responded swiftly to an armed robbery along Chelsea Street in Ogwashi-Ukwu. Two suspects were apprehended and a cache of weapons and stolen electronics recovered.
Again, on 16th September, the Safer Highway Patrol Team in Edo State intercepted a suspect en route Benin with fabricated pistols, ammunition, and a stolen Lexus RX 330.
That same month, 16 kidnapped victims were rescued in Odemigwe and Obanrenren after a rapid response to a highway ambush. In each of these cases, success was not accidental; it was the result of initiative, preparation, and tactical confidence.
8. Across Imo and Anambra States, IPOB/ESN strongholds were dismantled, leading to the recovery of assault weapons, explosives, and operational vehicles.
In the South-West, multiple kidnap syndicates were neutralised, particularly in Oyo, Ogun, and Itesiwaju, with suspects arrested, ransom money recovered, and victims rescued.
In Abeokuta, operatives successfully foiled a kidnapping attempt and secured five hostages without loss of life. These are not isolated wins – they are part of a growing pattern of coordinated response, inter-agency synergy, and real-time community intelligence.
9. During the August by-elections in Kano, 333 suspects were apprehended for offences including conspiracy, intimidation, and snatching of electoral materials. Exhibits recovered included firearms, machetes, and over four million naira in cash.
In Zamfara, the arrest of 13 bandit collaborators and rescue of 19 kidnapped victims on 12th September further reinforced our expanding operational footprint in high-risk corridors.
What these operations reveal is that when Commands are aligned, supported, and purpose-driven, the results are swift and decisive.
10. However, operational success must never be the end of the story – it must be backed by accountability. Far too many Commands delay or underreport major breakthroughs, weakening the Force’s ability to build national narratives of success and shape public confidence must be captured, verified, and communicated.
The public’s trust is not just earned in the field — it is reinforced in how we report, how we engage, and how we show evidence of progress. Commanders, it is your duty to ensure that your victories do not die in silence.
11. One area that continues to cast a shadow over our institution is the misuse of police authority in civil disputes — particularly in matters relating to land. Let me reiterate without ambiguity: the Nigeria Police Force is not, and will never become, an enforcer for private interests.
Officers have no business escorting parties for land recovery, disrupting legally existing occupations, or meddling in civil claims without a demonstrable criminal element.
Every such incident erodes the Force’s neutrality and opens us up to disrepute. The line must be clear. And any officer who crosses it will face disciplinary consequences.
12. The credibility of this institution rests not only on our crime-fighting capacity but also on the ethical culture we enforce from the top. Leadership by title is easy – but leadership by example is the standard we must uphold.
I do not expect perfection, but I insist on responsibility. Cs and AlGs must not become distant administrators; you must be present, engaged, and firm in correcting excesses.
Where there are complaints of abuse, respond. Where there are cases of misconduct, act. What you tolerate becomes your culture, and what you ignore eventually defines your legacy.
13. As we approach the final quarter of the year, there is no room for complacency. The so-called “Ember Months” have historically seen spikes in robbery, kidnapping, ritual killings, and highway banditry. I am mandating the following:
• Zonal AlGs must activate multi-layered visibility policing frameworks.
• CPs must monitor and respond to threats beyond urban centers.
• Tactical teams should patrol not just highways but feeder routes and forest corridors.
• Community engagement must be intensified — not just in volume, but in sincerity.
Let every Command return from this conference with an operational calendar for October to December. I expect to review these frameworks personally.
14. Senior Officers , the Force looks up to you – not just for supervision, but for example. Your tone becomes the culture of your Commands. If you cut corners, so will your officers. If you uphold ethics, so will they. If you dismiss misconduct, impunity will multiply.
The quality of your decisions sets the tone for our institution, influences the morale of your subordinates, and shapes how citizens perceive the entire Police Force. Capacity building at this level is no longer optional. It is a duty.
15. Let this not be one more meeting we forget after the applause fades. Take every insight gained here as a mandate. Let your next decision prove that you understood the charge of leadership.
Let your next action reaffirm the public’s trust. Let your next report reflect vision, not just compliance. We owe our officers in the field clarity.
We owe our citizens protection. We owe our badge integrity. Above all, we owe this nation a Police Force that does not falter – even when others do.
16. May God guide our judgment, strengthen our steps, and bless the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
