By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed police top brass to mete out commensurate and appropriate punishment to any person who assaults or kills police personnel.
Egbetokun gave the directive on Friday in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, while addressing officers and men of Enugu State Police Command during his two-day official working visit to the command.
“We will not tolerate any assault on our police officers, not to talk of killing police personnel. An assault on any police personnel is criminal and an assault on me, the IGP.
“For 2025, we are not going to take any kind of assault on our personnel and not talk of killing any of them.
“Anywhere there is assault or killing of any policeman, you all must respond commensurately and appropriately. We will not tolerate it anymore,” he said.
The IGP disclosed that in 2025, there would be massive training and retraining of police personnel across board in commands, formations, squads and units.
“We are aiming at professionalism, discipline and competency this year through training and retraining of personnel,” he said.
Egbetokun said that President Bola Tinubu was committed to the welfare and well-being of police personnel, noting that the President always acknowledges the sacrifices police officers and men were making to ensure the nation was secured.
“President Tinubu is personally making a robust welfare package for police personnel, which I know will take care of all our welfare worries and concerns.
“However, it will remain internal with the police and not for public or press consumption,” he said.
To the State Police Command, the police chief gushed that he had been getting fantastic, positive and pleasing reports concerning its operational successes.
“Daily, I get a sitrep concerning what is happening in Enugu State from the Commissioner of Police. There is nothing that happens here that I do not know.
“I am quite impressed by what the Commissioner, officers and men of the command as well as the state government and residents are doing to ensure security here.
“I am super-proud of your conduct and achievements in the command, which the governor had attested to me earlier in the day,” he said.
Egbetokun noted that in 2025 the police would stamp out criminals in the state, stressing that those that had been chased away would not return while Force Headquarters would support the command with all necessary resources.
“You are going to record more achievements this 2025bwhen we start giving additional support to the command,” he said.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, appreciated the IGP for the official working visit and his fatherly support to the state command as well as its formations, squads and units.
Uzuegbu, who reeled out the command’s achievement in 2024, appealed to the IGP for more personnel, arms, ammunition, operational vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), among others.
