By GEB
The policy by the immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to post officers to their states of origin has the potential to boost community policing, which many Nigerians have advocated over the years, particularly in the wake of the unprecedented insecurity in the country. However, for the policy to succeed, it requires building trust in the security personnel. They must be men and women of character and discipline who should live above board in the discharge of their crucial duties in their local areas.
The retired IGP introduced the policy early in January 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen community policing, improve intelligence gathering, and reduce challenges hindering the effective performance of police officers, including a language barrier. The scope of the policy is limited to newly commissioned officers who will be posted to their home states to begin their career among their own people. There was an earlier memo in 2025 by the police leadership which suggested similar transfers, but it has become clearer and specific in 2026 that the transfers will be to home states. The decision signals positive development.
Not many Nigerians were aware of the policy until Governor Alex Otti of Abia State highlighted it when he welcomed 31 Abia-born newly commissioned officers of the 7th Regular Course of the Nigeria Police Academy who were deployed to the state in line with the IGP’s directive. At the event, Governor Otti hailed the policy, which he described as fantastic, noble and well-intentioned. According to Otti, posting officers to their states will allow them to utilise their knowledge of local languages, culture and terrain to combat crime more effectively. ASP Somtochukwu, who spoke on behalf of the other officers, also commended the policy as one that would deepen their bond with the communities and strengthen their resolve to protect their home state.
Indeed, community policing, which places emphasis on partnership between law enforcement officers and residents to proactively tackle security-related issues and threats, is desirable not only in countries with a record of high crime rates but also in relatively peaceful societies. This underscores the adoption of the approach by about 60 countries, which see it as effective in crime prevention and prompt response to security threats, especially at the local level. Among the notable ones are the United States, Brazil, Tanzania, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Colombia, Uganda, Lebanon, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, and South Sudan. Though studies on making police officers serve in their communities in the aforementioned countries indicate mixed reactions on the extent to which it has been able to directly reduce crime levels, reports show that the strategy has been able to strengthen the relationship between the police and the communities and considerably reduce the fear of activities of criminal elements in the domains.
Even in Nigeria, some past administrations realised the role such a policy of integrating police officers into their neighbourhoods can play in ensuring safety in the communities, and made some moves to get it done. It is on record that during his time as military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in 1989 announced that a significant number of police officers would be posted to their native areas as part of the reform of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to improve community policing. Also in 2018, under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate urged the NPF to deploy junior cadre officers to their states and local governments of origin with a view to enhancing community policing and improving engagement with local vigilante and other security support groups.
Generally, the idea of posting police officers to their localities, which is a central tenet of community policing, is usually with a view to shifting law enforcement from a reactive to a proactive approach based on a strong partnership with the residents. It makes safety a shared responsibility, turning the residents into active allies of government security operatives in the crucial task of ensuring the safety of life and property. When this is the case, the hope of a safer society becomes bright.
But for the noble objectives of this approach to be achieved, the police leadership must go beyond just posting officers to their states. There is a need for a special orientation programme for the affected officers towards addressing the fears of critics of the policy. Among them is the fact that officers posted to their states could be susceptible to pressure, blackmail or sentimental decision-making to the extent that the noble idea could become a recipe for crisis under some situations or constitute a threat to effective policing that is based on the rule of law. This may be the case, especially in areas known for frequent or even occasional inter-ethnic, religious, or communal frictions. The officers must be trained to appreciate the crucial fact that only unbiased handling of issues and conflicts can make law enforcement successful in delivering peace and safety.
Also, the officers must be warned against corruption in the discharge of their duties. The perception of a police job as a privilege to make dubious wealth through extortion and harassment of innocent people often frustrates efforts at building partnership and bond between the police force and the residents, a relationship that is crucial to achieving the aim of the new posting policy. Information required for prompt action against criminal activities, and even those that have not been hatched, may not be forthcoming from the people if they see the officers as corrupt, biased, and disrespectful of the rule of law.
The government should pay special attention to the welfare of police officers to discourage them from unprofessional conduct. Poor remuneration, lack of life insurance, outdated and weak policing equipment, delayed promotion, and a situation where police officers themselves buy boots and other necessary items for official assignments can make them prone to indulging in sharp practices.
Above all, the policy should not replace the state police creation, which President Bola Tinubu has promised, so that Nigerians can enjoy the full-scale benefits of a decentralised police system. The governors should work with the Federal Government to make state police a reality.
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