The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has said on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, that the police had developed special training programs focusing on policing ethics, professional conduct, and reorientation courses.

“These programs are important for all officers, from the recruit constables to the superintendent, beginning January 2025,” the IGP said in Abuja.

He made this known at the National Summit on Police Accountability, with the theme “The internal, external, and stakeholder accountability strategies and mechanisms of the Nigeria Police Force/Services.”

It would be recalled that the summit was organised by the police in collaboration with the Cleen Foundation and supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Egbetokun affirmed that the training courses were to improve effective policing and accountability.

“The Nigeria police force is dedicated to improving the training and retraining of its officers,” he affirmed.

The police chief noted the force had also partnered with the Society for Peace Study and Practice to train its officers on alternative dispute resolution, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution mechanisms.

He said that the personnel were made to attend refresher courses and other training programs sponsored by zonal and international partners.

Mr. Peter Maduoma, Acting Executive Director of Cleen Foundation, affirmed that effective policing required more than just enforcing the law but also obedience to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and respect for human rights by police officers.

Similarly, the guest speaker at the summit, Dr. Etannibi Alemika, affirmed it was important to have an independent police force in order to improve accountability and effective policing.