The Nigeria Police Force says it will no longer tolerate assault on its officers and men.
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, issued this stern warning during his visit to the Enugu State Command on Friday, emphasising that any attack on police personnel will be met with an “appropriate response” from the Force.
Egbetokun made it clear that assaults on police officers are not only criminal but also an attack on the entire institution. He stressed that the police will collectively respond to any killing or assault on their personnel, ensuring that justice is served.
He said: “We will not tolerate any Assault on our police officers not to talk of killing. An Assault on a policeman is criminal, is an assault on IG and we are not going to kindly any act of assault on our officers not talk of killing any of our officers.
“Anywhere there is killing of any policeman you must all responded collectively and appropriately. There must be appropriate response from us. Where a policeman is assaulted there must be appropriate response to it.
“We will not tolerate it anymore. In this year 2025, we are going say no to assault on our officers. We are going to say no, capital no to Killing of any of our Men,” he insisted.
This zero-tolerance stance is part of the police force’s efforts to protect its personnel and maintain law and order. Egbetokun also acknowledged that the force is working with the federal government to improve the welfare of its personnel.
Interestingly, the police force has recently demonstrated its commitment to justice, as seen in its impartial investigation into the alleged assault of a Bolt driver by a federal lawmaker.
Egbetokun commended the policemen in Enugu State for their professionalism but also expressed concerns about a few rogue officers who are tarnishing the force’s image. Overall, the Nigerian Police Force’s vow to protect its personnel sends a strong message about its commitment to justice and accountability.
He said: “I want to assure you officers and men of Enugu State command that we recognize the good job that you are doing. You are very hard working. You are committed. You are diligent in the discharge of your duties.
“I have met the governor earlier on and he was full of praises for Officers and Men of this command. I am super proud of your achievements and your conduct generally.
“I also want to tell you that as very good that you have been doing there are still few bad eggs among you that are given us concerns.
“We are going to talk about that one when we have our family meeting. This year 2025 we are going to approach this year with determination. Determination to stamp out criminals. The ones that have been chased away will not be allowed to come back and I am going to support this command with everything, every resources that are in our disposal.
“So that the achievements that you have recorded will not be tampered with, you’re going to record more achievements in this year 2025.
“In this year we are going to vigorously pursue our policing version for Nigeria. We will emphasize professionalism. We will emphasize ethical conduct of our officers. We will emphasize training and retraining of our officers.
“We will equip you with modern policing tools to discharge your duties effectively. We will also look after your welfare. The Federal Government of Nigeria is passionate about the welfare of police officers in Nigeria. Mr President recognizes the sacrifices that you make and he’s very concerned about you.
“There is a lot of things that we are working out together that I don’t want to announce in public now but by the time all this welfare programmes start unfolding you just be quiet with it. It’s not just something we want the public to know about as at now but please be assured and don’t be persuaded by the enemies of the police to make you believe that your welfare is neglected.
“No IG will neglect the welfare of his officers and men. I have read in social media all kinds of things being posted by mischievous people, mischief makers, there’s a recent one that is circulating that they said that IG said that any policeman who asked for your phone you should beat him up. You can see that this is the handiwork of enemies.”
