The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has urged frontline police officers across the country to adopt a more offensive approach in combating insecurity, stressing that proactive operations against criminal elements would help deter bandits and other violent offenders.
The IGP gave the charge on Wednesday during an interactive session with officers and men of the Kano State Police Command held at the Officers’ Mess in Kano.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Northwest, DIG Sulaiman Muhammad-Abdul, the police chief commended the officers for their recent successes in tackling criminal activities and encouraged them to sustain the momentum.
According to him, the IGP expressed satisfaction with the command’s performance, particularly in the arrest and neutralisation of bandits and their leaders.
“I am proud of your outstanding performance this week. You have taken the battle straight to the criminals with bold actions, recording major successes through arrests and the neutralisation of bandits and their kingpins,” the DIG quoted the IGP as saying.
He added that the police leadership believes it is more effective to remain on the offensive against criminal elements rather than merely responding to attacks.
“The people are noticing our courage. Well done. It is far better to strike first and stay on the offensive than to remain only reactive. When bandits know we fire back decisively, they will think twice,” he said.
The IGP also unveiled a six-pillar administrative and operational framework aimed at strengthening internal security and modernising policing across the country.
According to him, the pillars include Intelligence-Led and Technology-Driven Policing; Professionalism, Accountability and Zero Tolerance; Community Policing and Public Trust; Inter-Agency Collaboration; Operational Standardisation and Specialisation; and Personnel Welfare and Capacity Building.
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Muhammad-Abdul urged the Kano State Police Command to maximise the use of technology and intelligence tools in crime-fighting efforts.
He specifically called on officers to leverage data analytics, digital forensics and centralised information systems to identify crime hotspots and track financial networks that support criminal gangs.
Earlier, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu-Bakori, described the visit as a demonstration of the force leadership’s commitment to effective supervision, sound administration and the welfare of personnel.
He reaffirmed the command’s resolve to remain committed to its constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property while maintaining law and order across the state.
The commissioner assured residents that the command would continue to strengthen security operations and support ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities in Kano and its environs.
