The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, has issued a stern nationwide warning to officers and men of the Police Force that the era of professional recklessness and impunity is definitively over.
IGP Disu stated this at the successful passing out of 1,068 retrained police constables at the Police Mobile Force Base, 26 PMF, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
The IGP declared that the retraining exercise was not merely ceremonial but a fundamental proclamation of a new professional dawn for the Force.
He emphasised that 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.
In his keynote address, the IGP lauded the Akwa Ibom State Command for pioneering the comprehensive retraining of female police officers in arms handling last year, noting that gender is no barrier to competence.
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He reiterated that Force Order 237 remains binding, stressing that firearms shall only be used as a last resort, proportionately, and strictly within the bounds of the law.
Reiterating his national broadcast of April 29, 2026, IGP Disu stated, “Impunity ends now. Any officer who misuses his weapon, who kills a citizen without lawful justification, will be dismissed and prosecuted. Not transferred. Not queried. Not redeployed. No badge is a licence to kill. No uniform is a shield from justice.”
IGP Disu further warned against extortion, reporting to duty under the influence of alcohol, and reckless use of firearms, promising summary dismissal and criminal prosecution for any violator.
He charged the newly retrained constables to carry their weapons with pride but restraint, wear their uniforms with dignity, and treat citizens with respect, noting that “the real examination begins tomorrow, when you return to the streets.”
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, fsi, disclosed that the retrained personnel include a specially selected cohort for the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), created in line with the IGP’s directive to serve as a strategic strike force against violent crimes across the state.
CP Azare also highlighted key operational successes recorded by the Command, including the safe evacuation of explosive devices at the Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre and the rescue of kidnapped victims along the Calabar–Oron waterways through seamless inter-agency collaboration.
Present at the passing-out ceremony were the representative of the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, DIG Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, mni (Rtd); the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 6 Zonal Headquarters, AIG Auwal Musa Mohammad; the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Police Mobile Force, AIG Alonyenu Francis Idu; and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Department of Training and Development, AIG Uche Ifeanyi Henry, PhD, among other senior officers and dignitaries.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to community policing and urged residents of Akwa Ibom State to continue partnering with the Police by providing timely and credible information.
The Command, through the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in the press release, further assured the public that complaint mechanisms remain open and that every report of abuse or misconduct will be thoroughly investigated and acted upon.
