THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has admitted that criminals operating across Nigeria are currently more sophisticated and better equipped than the country’s security agencies, warning that law enforcement must urgently modernize to keep pace with emerging threats.
News Point Nigeria reports that speaking on Thursday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a strategic meeting with commanders of all border patrol units nationwide, Egbetokun described the situation as a wake-up call for the nation’s security architecture.
In a blunt assessment of Nigeria’s security challenges, the Police Chief acknowledged that criminal groups are no longer the “ragtag gangs” of old but well-organized, well-funded, and internationally connected networks.
“The threats we face are changing every day,” Egbetokun said. “Criminal groups are sophisticated, they are well-funded, and they are international. They use drones, falsified documents, and encrypted networks to stay ahead.
“We cannot fight 21st-century crime with 20th-century tools. That is why we must embrace technology surveillance systems, drones, biometric scanners, real-time data analysis. These are not luxuries; they are necessities.”
He vowed that the Force would continue to push for modern equipment and resources to empower frontline officers to match the evolving sophistication of criminals.
Highlighting the country’s vast and vulnerable frontiers, Egbetokun painted a picture of Nigeria’s porous borders as a major entry point for arms, contraband, and transnational crimes.
“Nigeria is a nation blessed with vast and complex borders – over 4,000 kilometers of land boundaries and long maritime corridors linking us to the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.
“These borders are not just 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.”
The police chief lamented that for too long, the porosity of Nigeria’s borders has been exploited by arms smugglers, traffickers, terrorists, and criminal syndicates.
“We have seen the inflow of small arms and light weapons that fuel violence in our villages and cities. We have seen contraband goods smuggled in, crippling our local industries.
“We have seen vulnerable women and children trafficked across borders. We have confronted terrorists and criminal syndicates who take advantage of these weaknesses to infiltrate and destabilize our communities,” he said.
Addressing the assembled commanders, Egbetokun stressed the importance of their role in national security.
“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,” he told the officers.
He called for renewed commitment to border security operations and emphasized the need for intelligence-led policing, collaboration with other security agencies, and rapid integration of modern technology into policing strategies.
After his opening address, the meeting went into a closed-door session where senior police officials reportedly deliberated on strategies to tighten border security, improve response times, and enhance inter-agency coordination.