Opinion: The Police We Want and The Police We Have

By Lanre Olagunju 

Nigeria’s conversation about policing must go beyond criticism and confront the realities of support, funding and public responsibility - Lanre Olagunju

When Nigerians talk about the police, the conversation is often driven by frustration. Stories of misconduct, slow responses, poor investigations, and security failures understandably dominate public discourse. Citizens want a police force that is professional, accountable, efficient and capable of tackling the country’s complex security challenges.

But beneath these expectations lies a difficult question: have we built the conditions that make such a police force possible?

Since assuming office as Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu has attempted to project a different tone. An emphasis on intelligence-led policing, accountability, welfare and operational effectiveness has marked his early months in office.

Across several states, police operations have led to the arrest of suspected kidnappers, terrorists, armed robbers and cultists, alongside the rescue of victims and recovery of weapons. The establishment of a Violent Crime Response Unit reflects an effort to create more specialised responses to violent crimes. At the same time, disciplinary measures against erring officers have signalled a willingness to enforce accountability within the ranks.

Yet perhaps one of the most important aspects of the current leadership approach has been its attempt to balance discipline with motivation.

Disu has adopted what many within the force describe as a carrot-and-stick approach: punishing misconduct where necessary while rewarding diligence and professionalism. One recent example was the promotion of more than 17,000 junior officers across various ranks nationwide, a move aimed at boosting morale, recognising hard work and improving welfare within the force.

The significance of such measures becomes clearer when viewed against the realities many officers face.

According to budget figures and policy analyses, the Nigeria Police Force, responsible for securing a country of more than 200 million people, operates with resources that are significantly lower on a per-officer basis than many police organisations in developed countries. While comparisons with forces such as the New York Police Department are imperfect, they illustrate a broader challenge: Nigerian police officers are often expected to deliver world-class results despite working within a system constrained by funding shortages, inadequate equipment, ageing infrastructure and welfare concerns.

This is where the national conversation becomes uncomfortable.

Many members of Nigeria’s elite routinely demand a police force comparable to those found in advanced democracies. They expect officers to demonstrate the professionalism of London, New York or Toronto. Yet few are willing to ask whether the country has invested in policing at comparable levels.

Even more telling is another question rarely raised. How many members of Nigeria’s political and economic elite would encourage their children, educated at Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge or other prestigious institutions, to pursue careers in the police? How many governors, ministers, lawmakers or captains of industry would proudly tell their children that joining the Nigeria Police Force represents a worthy professional ambition?

The answer exposes a contradiction at the heart of the debate. Society demands excellence from police officers while often treating policing as a profession unworthy of its own brightest and most privileged citizens. We cannot continuously stigmatise an institution, starve it of support, publicly shame it at every opportunity, and then wonder why attracting and retaining top talent remains a challenge. Nations with highly respected police services did not achieve that status through criticism alone. They invested in training, technology, welfare, recruitment and public trust.

None of this is an argument against accountability. Nigerians have every right to demand professionalism from those entrusted with public safety. Officers who abuse their powers must be sanctioned. Corruption must be confronted. Human rights violations must never be excused.

But accountability alone does not build capable institutions.

Policing, like every other profession, depends on investment. It depends on training, logistics, intelligence systems, equipment, housing, healthcare, career progression and public cooperation. Without these foundations, even the best reforms struggle to achieve lasting impact.

The reality is that the Nigeria Police Force, in its current form, is the police force the country has today. While long-term reforms remain necessary, Nigeria cannot afford to abandon or alienate the institution responsible for maintaining internal security. The fight against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, organised crime and communal violence cannot succeed without a functioning police service supported by both government and citizens.

That support does not mean blind loyalty. It means recognising that effective policing is a shared national responsibility. Citizens must continue demanding accountability, but governments must provide resources. Communities must cooperate with officers, while police leadership must continue driving reforms that improve professionalism and public trust.

The true test of Disu’s leadership will not be measured solely by arrests, promotions or policy directives. It will be measured by whether reforms become institutionalised and whether public confidence steadily improves.

For now, however, the debate around policing requires a broader perspective. Nigerians must continue asking difficult questions of the police. But they must also ask difficult questions of themselves and their leaders.

Because the police we want cannot emerge from a system we are unwilling to support.

And until that changes, the gap between public expectation and institutional reality will remain one of Nigeria’s greatest security challenges.