The immediate past inspector-general of police (IGP), Usman Baba, has bragged about leaving the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) better than how he met it in 2021.
Baba spoke on Wednesday while handing over to the newly-appointed acting-IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
The former police chief said he had set out to positively change narrative about Police in Nigeria by instituting a well-articulated vision and mission objectives when he was appointed.
Baba said he had pledged to address the welfare concerns of serving and retired officers and enhance the operational capacity of the force through the procurement of critical operational assets.
He also stressed that he set out to reposition special detachments of the force, particularly the marine and air wings, the special forces, the police mobile force, the counterterrorism unit and the special protection unit.
Baba added that he also tried to enhance the intelligence capacity of the force through the push for the cam-scanner upgrade of the technical intelligence assets.
“I am convinced that steady progress has been made in all components of my promise to change policing narratives and restore the dwindling police primacy within the internal security architecture of the country,” he said.
“We might not be there yet, but certainly the pathways have been clearly defined; a firm foundation built, and giant strides taken.”
He urged the new leadership of the force to leverage on his achievements to make the force even better
Baba commended the force for their loyalty, sacrifice and duty orientation which he said aided his administration to attain most of the set leadership visions and targets.
Responding to Baba, Egbetokun appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the confidence he showed in him.
He said his appointment was a call to commitment and a platform to make a difference in the shared mission of the president to safeguard the lives and well-being of Nigerians.
Egbetokun promised that the force, under his leadership, would strive for excellence, transparency, and accountability to rebuild public trust.
He said his administration would also strive to restore public confidence in law enforcement institutions and create a Nigeria where every citizen would feel safe, protected and respected.
