RismadarVoice Reporters, April 30, 2026
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has declared an end to impunity within the Nigeria Police Force, warning that misconduct and unlawful use of firearms will attract immediate dismissal and prosecution.
Disu issued the directive on Thursday during the passing-out ceremony of 1,068 retrained police constables at the Police Mobile Force Base, 26 PMF, in Uyo.
Addressing the newly retrained officers, the IGP described the exercise as a turning point in policing standards across the country. He stressed that the initiative was not symbolic, but a deliberate effort to reset institutional values.
“An unskilled officer with a gun is a danger to the public, while a skilled and disciplined officer is a true guardian of the people,” he said.
Reaffirming the provisions of Force Order 237, Disu emphasised that the use of firearms must remain a last resort, applied proportionately and strictly within the confines of the law. He reiterated a hardline stance first outlined in his national broadcast a day earlier.
“Impunity ends now. Any officer who misuses his weapon, who kills a citizen without lawful justification, will be dismissed and prosecuted not transferred, not redeployed. No badge is a license to kill,” he declared.
The police chief also issued warnings against extortion, intoxication on duty, and other forms of professional misconduct, stating that violators would face both administrative and criminal consequences.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Baba Mohammed Azare, disclosed that the retrained officers include personnel selected for a newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU). The unit, he said, is designed as a rapid-response force to tackle violent crimes across the state.
Azare highlighted recent operational achievements by the Command, including the safe evacuation of explosive devices at the Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre and the successful rescue of kidnap victims along the Calabar–Oron waterways through inter-agency collaboration.
He also noted that the Akwa Ibom Command had earlier taken the lead in retraining female officers in arms handling, underscoring the Force’s commitment to gender inclusion and capacity development.
The ceremony drew attendance from senior police officials and dignitaries, including retired Deputy Inspector-General Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, Assistant Inspector-General Auwal Musa Mohammad, and other top-ranking officers.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to community policing, urging residents to provide timely and credible information to support law enforcement efforts. Authorities also assured the public that mechanisms for reporting police misconduct remain active, with all complaints to be thoroughly investigated.
