IGP: We Cannot Fight 21st-Century Crime With 20th-Century Tools

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday said the Nigerian Police Force cannot combat 21st-century crime with 20th-century tools.

Egbetokun made this statement in Abuja during a conference with commanders of Border Patrol Bases across the country.

He said: “That is why we must embrace technology; surveillance systems, drones, biometric scanners, real-time data analysis. These are not luxuries; they are necessities. And we will continue to fight for them until every officer on the frontline is equipped to match the sophistication of those you face.”

Noting that the police can no longer continue with business as usual, the IGP stressed that policing today can no longer afford to be reactive.

Crime, he said, is now faster, smarter, and more global than ever before.

“To win, we must anticipate, we must innovate, and we must outthink those who seek to harm us,” he said.

Egbetokun added: “You, the officers of the Border Patrol Section, carry an enormous responsibility. You are not just policemen and women. You are the first line of defence against external threats.

“You are the protectors of Nigeria’s sovereignty. Your duties go far beyond routine law enforcement. You are the ones who stop smugglers of weapons and narcotics. You are the ones who rescue trafficked children before they are lost forever.

“You are the ones who keep criminal syndicates from turning our nation into a playground of lawlessness. And you do all this while working with sister agencies to ensure that no crack is left open for danger to slip through.

“Let me say this to you: when you mount a checkpoint, when you block a smuggling route, when you rescue a victim—you are not just doing your job; you are shaping the future of Nigeria. But let us be clear: the threats we face are changing every day.

“Criminal groups are no longer ragtag gangs. They are sophisticated, well-funded, and international. They use drones, falsified documents, and encrypted networks to stay ahead.”

Nigeria, he said, is a nation blessed with vast and complex borders—over 4,000 kilometres of land boundaries and long maritime corridors linking us to the Gulf of Guinea.

He stressed that these borders are more than lines on a map; they are the arteries through which trade, culture, and human connection flow, but they can also be the cracks through which danger slips in.