Police Training Institutions Overhaul: Mbah Explains Tinubu’s Emergency Declaration
The Police Training Institutions Overhaul initiated by President Bola Tinubu has been described as a bold and proactive step to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and tackle criminality across the country.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who chairs the National Economic Council (NEC) Committee on the overhaul of police and other security training institutions, stated this on Tuesday during the committee’s inspection tour of the Police Training College, Ikeja, Lagos.
Mbah explained that President Tinubu’s decision to declare an emergency on the nation’s police and security training institutions followed his proposal at the 152nd NEC meeting, where he expressed deep concern over the deplorable condition of the facilities nationwide.
He clarified that the initiative had no connection to comments made by former U.S. President Donald Trump on Nigeria’s security challenges, stressing that the reform was purely homegrown and forward-looking.
“The president recognises that there is a need for bold and urgent steps to restore the pride, professionalism, and confidence of men and women in the security sector,” Mbah said. “You cannot expect our officers, who are meant to protect our communities, to train in inhumane environments. That is unacceptable. This initiative is not a knee-jerk reaction but a proactive step to correct decades of neglect.”
Mbah emphasized that the committee -comprising Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), with former Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba as Secretary—would complete its nationwide assessment within 30 days.
According to him, the team had divided itself into two groups to ensure simultaneous visits to facilities in the northern and southern parts of the country. “Our team is touring facilities in the southern states, while the Nasarawa governor leads the northern tour. We are working with consultants to conduct a deep assessment of what needs to be rebuilt, equipped, and sustained in our training institutions,” he said.
Mbah underscored that the president’s declaration amounted to an emergency intervention, especially with the recent approval to recruit an additional 30,000 police personnel. “Recruitment cannot proceed without functional and modern training facilities. The president saw this as an emergency, and we are treating it with the seriousness it deserves,” he added.
The Enugu governor further revealed that the revamp would be holistic, aligning the country’s security training with modern technological standards. “We cannot continue to use outdated 20th-century methods to train 21st-century officers. They must acquire contemporary skills in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Mechatronics, and digital technology to meet global policing demands,” he said.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, a member of the committee, reiterated the urgency of the assignment during an interactive session with the management of the Police Training College, Ikeja. “The composition of this committee with governors underscores the president’s seriousness. We are conducting on-the-spot assessments to ensure that interventions are immediate because we do not have the luxury of time,” Abiodun stated.
Commandant of the College, AIG Omolara Oloruntola, lamented that the institution, established by the British colonial administration in 1949, had suffered extensive infrastructural decay over the years. She applauded President Tinubu’s administration for prioritizing the overhaul, describing it as a long-overdue intervention that would restore the college to its past glory.
Observers believe the Police Training Institutions Overhaul signals a new era in Nigeria’s security sector reform, aimed at professionalizing law enforcement and equipping officers with modern tools to effectively combat emerging threats across the nation. Visit GMTNewsng for more news.
