Nigeria Police: "The Era of Impunity is Over," Warns Kwara State CP
The days of looking the other way when police officers misbehave are officially over in Kwara State. In a decisive move to clean up the ranks, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has issued a stern warning to his officers to shape up, explicitly declaring that the era of impunity within the Nigeria Police Force has come to an end. The warning came during a major strategic briefing on Monday, where CP Ojo met with top brass across the stateāincluding Deputy Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), and Tactical Commanders. According to a statement by the Commandās spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the meeting was called to reinforce the strict discipline, accountability, and professionalism demanded by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu. A New Standard of Accountability CP Ojo made it clear that the leadership of the force will no longer tolerate any form of misconduct or abuse of power. Addressing his senior officers, he stated: āThe era of impunity is over, and every officer must conduct himself or herself in a manner that upholds the integrity, discipline, and professionalism expected of members of the Force.ā He reminded personnel to watch how they act and speak while on duty, pointing out that in today's digital age, the public is always watching. Because of smartphones and social media, an officer's actions can easily be captured on camera, potentially dragging the reputation of the entire force through the mudāsomething that will now carry heavy penalties. āAny officer captured engaging in misconduct, incivility, abuse of authority, extortion, harassment, or any conduct capable of bringing the Force into disrepute will face stringent disciplinary actions in accordance with established police regulations,ā he stated. Strict Social Media Rules The briefing also tackled how officers behave online. Delivering a lecture on the Forceās Social Media Policy, Ojo warned that reckless behavior online or leaking official police information puts everyone at risk. āCareless online conduct, unauthorized dissemination of official information, and activities capable of undermining operational security or the image of the Force will attract appropriate sanctions,ā he warned. Taking Policing Back to the Community Beyond enforcing discipline internally, the Commissioner is also looking outward to secure the state. He ordered all DPOs to immediately step up their grassroots engagement by working closely with local stakeholders, including school proprietors, principals, and religious leaders. The goal is to build strong partnerships to protect places of worship, schools, and other public spaces from rising security threats. āThe command remains committed to strengthening partnerships with critical stakeholders in order to enhance security and ensure the protection of lives and property across Kwara State,ā he said. Wrapping up the briefing, the CP reassured Kwara residents that the command is fully dedicated to intelligence-led policing, accountability, and community trust, while keeping its own officers on a tight leash. This move is part of a broader, ongoing effort by the Nigeria Police Force in recent years to root out corruption, extortion, and abuse of authority through stricter internal discipline and better community relations.
