The National Police Council has approved and confirmed the appointment of the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, as substantive IGP.
This was made known by the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, on Tuesday in Abuja, while briefing journalists at the end of the council meeting held at the Presidential Villa.
The Police Council has the president, the governors and the president of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as its members.
Their role is limited to the stated purpose of advising the President on the appointment of an IGP.
Gaidam said the meeting focused on the confirmation of the inspector general of police, who had been in office for four months.
According to Gaidam, Egbetokun is eminently qualified to be appointed IGP due to his dedication and commitment to the force and national security.
“We just had a Police Council meeting with President Bola Tinubu. The meeting focused on the confirmation of the acting Inspector General of Police as the substantive Inspector General of Police.
“He has been in an interim capacity since he was appointed three or four months ago. According to our records and what we have seen physically of him, he has a very rich Curriculum Vitae.
“He has attended several police and security courses and is eminently qualified to be confirmed.
“I found him very qualified, very honest, very transparent and very hard-working,” Gaidam said.
Similarly, the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said Egbetokun had demonstrated a clear understanding of the Renewed Hope Police Agenda.
“I invite everyone to be part of this reform. In the past we had reform documents that were not implemented. Current reform within the police ecosystem will be different.
“This reform will have resources to be fully implemented and updated. I invite the general public to fulfill their obligation to act as police.
“Police matters are citizens’ matters; “Everyone has a role to play,” said Nigeria’s first Minister of State for Police Affairs.
For his part, the PSC Chairman and former IGP, Solomon Arase, said Egbetokun’s confirmation would give him the confidence to lead his men.
He said apart from the confirmation of the IGP, Tinubu also wanted reforms in the security sector.
“We believe it is necessary to sit down with critical stakeholders and re-review our internal security management.
“We need to examine all the issues; examine timelines and implementation strategies,” Mr. Arase said.
In his remarks, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State stressed the need for synergy between the police and state governments, considering the security situation in the country.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the IGP, but more importantly, to express our great gratitude to the president and members of the council for his confirmation.
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“It is now very important for us to understand the synergy between the IGP, the police as a whole and the states, especially at a time like this when we have security challenges in one state or the other.
“I firmly believe that the IGP knows what is happening in this country; He is concerned about the challenges we are having.
“It’s been going from state to state; I know she has been to Nasarawa State a couple of times and we firmly believe that she will, in fact, continue there,’ she said.
In another comment, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State said Egbetokun addressed the council meeting on “The State of Police in Nigeria”.
He said the IGP spoke about the need for technology-enabled and community-based policing as well as adequate budgetary provisions.
“He also spoke of the need to reexamine police recruitment, a point that was probed and clarified by the PSC president.
“This led to the constitution of a committee by the president with the Minister of Police Affairs, the Chairman of the PSC, the National Security Adviser and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum as members.
“The committee will examine the points raised and ensure that the recruits are truly eligible,” Abiodun said.
Until his latest appointment, Mr. Egbetokun was decorated as Deputy Inspector General of Police and DIG Supervisor for the South West Geopolitical Zone, to head the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja from 6 April 2023.
The new Police Chief was born on September 4, 1964 in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
He enlisted in the Nigerian Police on March 3, 1990, as a Cadet Deputy Superintendent of Police.
He received his initial cadet training at the Nigerian Police Academy and has attended many other courses within and outside the police force.
He has worked in various police commands and formations throughout the country and held command positions at various times.
As Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1999, he was appointed head of security to the then governor-elect of Lagos State, now President Bola Tinubu.
He served as Commander, Rapid Response Squadron (RRS), Lagos; Squadron Commander, MOPOL; Anti-Fraud Unit, FCT Command, Abuja, and Chief Superintendent of Police, Administration, Lagos State Command Headquarters, Ikeja.
He also served as Area Commander, Osogbo, Osun State Command and Area Commander, Gusau, Zamfara Command, among several others.
Mr. Egbetokun is a mathematician.
He graduated from the University of Lagos, Akoka, with a degree in Mathematics in June 1987 and taught mathematics briefly at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, before enlisting in the police.
His other academic qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Engineering Analysis, also from the University of Lagos, Akoka (1996) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics from Delta State University, Abraka (2000).
He also obtained an MBA from Lagos State University, Ojo in 2004.
(YAYA)
