By Joshua Anthony
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has called for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to drive technology-based policing reforms and strengthen security training institutions across the country.
Disu made the appeal on Thursday during a visit by a high-powered police delegation to the TETFund headquarters in Abuja, where discussions centred on the modernization of policing through education, research, innovation and specialized professional training.
The police chief said the future of effective policing in Nigeria would depend largely on education, forensic science, cyber security, artificial intelligence and intelligence-led operations.
“We realize that we cannot do our jobs without you. All the complaints against the police boil down to education,” the IGP said while addressing the management of TETFund led by its Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono.
“We are trying everything possible to upgrade the kind of education we give to our police officers. To destroy a nation, all you need to do is destroy its educational system,” he added.
A major focus of the meeting was the ongoing transformation of the Nigeria Police Academy and plans for a new police university campus in Ogun State, expected to serve as a centre for forensic science, criminology, intelligence studies and technology-driven policing.
According to the IGP, modern crime fighting now requires highly trained professionals capable of deploying advanced technologies against increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.
“You cannot do good policing without forensic experts and criminologists. Policing has gone beyond stereotypes. We want to be scientific,” he stated.
Disu recounted an exercise at the police academy where trainees wrongly identified innocent individuals as suspected criminals based solely on appearance, saying the experience highlighted the need for deeper education and psychological reorientation within the force.
“We profiled people with just their faces and all of us failed. Those we thought were criminals turned out to be doctors, scientists and professionals. That is why we need education to bypass wrong assumptions,” he said.
The IGP disclosed that the police already have officers trained in artificial intelligence, drone technology and crime analytics, stressing that Nigeria must scale up scientific and data-driven policing methods.
“We can predict crimes through analytics. We study patterns. We analyze data. We deploy technology. Crime fighting today is scientific,” he added.
He appealed to TETFund to support the force with intervention funding for lecture halls, laboratories, ICT centres, research facilities, student accommodation, libraries and staff development programmes.
Disu also assured the agency of accountability in the use of intervention funds, promising close coordination between the police training department and TETFund.
In an emotional appeal, the police chief urged Nigerians to support security personnel despite operational challenges facing the force.
“You do not have any other police than this one. We are achieving a lot with little. Every day, police officers die in the line of duty, yet we continue,” he said.
“Close your eyes and imagine a day without police officers on duty. If you see us do bad things, report us. But when we do good, tell the world also.”
Responding, Echono described the Nigeria Police Force as one of the country’s most important institutions for maintaining national stability and public order.
He commended Disu for what he described as professionalism and excellence in service.
“His reputation as a top cop precedes him. Every assignment he has handled, he has done with excellence and professionalism,” Echono said.
The TETFund Executive Secretary reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the modernization of police education institutions, particularly the expansion of the Police Academy and the takeoff of the newly approved Ogun State campus.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had already approved intervention funding for the new campus and directed the immediate commencement of infrastructure development.
“We have already set up our team and by next week they will move for joint inspection and evaluation of the facilities needed for takeoff,” he disclosed.
Echono urged the police authorities to ensure the Ogun campus attains full university status within four years to qualify for direct annual intervention funding from TETFund.
“The moment it becomes a self-sustaining institution, it will receive annual funding as a right. Then you will be getting support for two institutions instead of one,” he said.
He also pledged support for specialized police training in cyber security, aviation technology, intelligence operations and other emerging fields critical to modern security operations.
The TETFund boss stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between educational institutions and security agencies to protect schools and campuses from insecurity, including kidnapping and violent attacks.
“Our first line of defence across the country remains the Nigerian Police. We will continue to rely on you for the safety of our schools and campuses,” he said.
Describing the visit as historic, Echono noted that it marked the first official visit by a serving Inspector-General of Police to the TETFund headquarters during his tenure.
“This is the beginning of a stronger partnership. We will not forget the significance of this day,” he added.
The meeting ended with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to building a technologically advanced and professionally trained police force capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
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