Police Council has approved and confirmed the appointment of the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, as substantive IGP.
Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen at the end of the council’s meeting held at the Presidential Villa.
The Police Council has the president, governors and Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as its members.
Its role is confined to the declared purpose of advising the president in the appointment of an IGP.
Gaidam said that the meeting centred on the confirmation of the Inspector-General of Police, who had been in acting capacity since four months ago.
According to Gaidam, Mr Egbetokun is eminently qualified to be appointed as the IGP because of his dedication and commitment to the force and to national security.
“We just had a meeting of the Police Council 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 acting capacity since he was appointed last three or four months ago. Based on our records and what we physically seen in him, he has a very rich Curriculum Vitae.
“He has attended several police and security courses and he is eminently qualified to be confirmed.
“I found him to be 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 clear understanding of the Renewed Hope Police Agenda.
“I invite everyone to be part of this reform. In the past we had reform papers that were not implemented. The current reform within the police ecosystem will be different.
“This reform is going to be backed by resources so that it is fully implemented and actualised. I invite the general public to perform their obligation toward policing.
“Police affairs are citizens affairs; everybody has a role to play,’’ Nigeria’s first female minister of state for police affairs said.
On his part, the Chairman of the PSC, former IGP, Mr Solomon Arase, affirmed that Egbetokun’s confirmation would give him the necessary confidence to lead his men.
He said apart from the confirmation of the IGP, Tinubu was also desirous of security sector reforms.
“We believe that there is the need for us to sit with critical stakeholders and take a look again at our internal security management.
“We need to look at all issues; examine timelines and implementation strategies,’’ Arase said.
In his remarks, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State underscored the need for synergy between the police and state governments, considering the security situation in the country.
“I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the IGP, but more importantly to express great appreciation to the president and members of the council for his confirmation.
“Now it is 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 are having security challenges in one state or the other.
“I believe very strongly that the IGP knows what is happening in this country; he is concerned about the challenges that we are having.
“He has been going from state to state; I know that he has been to Nasarawa State a couple of times and we believe very strongly that he will pick it up from there as a matter of fact,’’ he said.
In another remark, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun said Egbetokun addressed the council meeting on “The State of Police in Nigeria’’.
He said the IGP spoke about the need for technology- driven and community-based policing as well as adequate budgetary provisions.
“He also spoke about the need to re-examine police recruitment, a point that was canvassed and further elucidated upon by the Chairman of the PSC.
“This led to the constitution of a committee by the president with the Minister of Police Affairs, Chairman of the PSC, the National Security Adviser and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum as members.
“The committee will look at points raised and ensure that recruits are indeed very eligible,’’ Gov. Abiodun said.
Until his latest appointment, Egbetokun was decorated as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police and supervising DIG for the Southwest geo-political zone, to man the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja since April 6, 2023.
The new police boss was born on Sept. 4, 1964 in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun.
He enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on March 3, 1990, as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police.
He had his initial cadet training at the Nigeria Police Academy, and has attended many other courses within and outside the Police Force.
He has worked in several police commands and formations across the country and held command positions at various times.
As a Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1999, he was appointed the Chief Security Officer to the then-elected governor of Lagos State, now President Bola Tinubu.
In that capacity, he coordinated the security of the entire state while reporting to the governor.
He served as the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (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.
Egbetokun is a police officer and a Mathematician.
He graduated from the University of Lagos, Akoka, with Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) in Mathematics in June 1987 and lectured Mathematics briefly at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, before his enlistment into the Police Force.
His other academic qualifications include MSc Engineering Analysis, also from the University of Lagos, Akoka (1996) and Post-Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics from Delta State University, Abraka (2000).
He also bagged MBA from Lagos State University, Ojo in 2004. (NAN)
