IGP Egbetokun Directs Nationwide Community-Focused Policing

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has stressed the critical role of intelligence in combating violent crime, directing all Commissioners of Police to strengthen community-based networks nationwide.

Speaking to senior officers in Abuja on Thursday, IGP Egbetokun said: “The fight against violent crime is won first in the field of intelligence. We must build systems that see crime before it erodes.”

He emphasized that actionable intelligence must go beyond traditional reporting lines, extending to markets, transport unions, student leadership circles, farming clusters, healthcare institutions, and religious organizations.

“The Dependable Native Intelligence Network is not built only on desk officers. It thrives when communities trust the police,” he added, stressing that participation must remain lawful, ethical, and professionally protected.

Commissioners were instructed to deploy intelligence response cells to analyze local crime patterns, interpret attack indicators, and map potential crime migration corridors.

“Information without action is not intelligence. Each major incident should generate intelligence packets predicting not only immediate perpetrators but potential threats and future criminal movements,” IGP Egbetokun said.

He also highlighted the integration of open-source, forensic, and cyber intelligence into policing and reinforced community policing structures, including:

• Joint community safety forums

• Village-level crime watch desks

• Rapid information channels linking grassroots networks directly to tactical police units

“These measures ensure that police operate ahead of crime, occupying community confidence and communication channels, not just roads and highways. Intelligence-led, community-integrated policing is our path to enhanced public safety,” the IGP concluded.

The directive signals a strategic shift toward intelligence-driven, community-focused policing, aimed at preempting criminal activity, enhancing operational efficiency, and building public trust across Nigeria.