The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has inspected 23 police barracks as part of efforts to assess the living conditions of officers, their families and the state of welfare facilities.

The inspection focused on residential quarters and other infrastructure used by police personnel, with Mr Disu engaging officers and residents during the exercise.

According to the Nigeria Police Force, the assessment identified areas requiring urgent attention, rehabilitation and sustained investment.

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Why the inspection matters

Accommodation and welfare facilities are important to the wellbeing and morale of police officers, particularly those working in demanding conditions to protect lives and property.

The Force said the inspection was intended to provide an evidence-based assessment of infrastructure challenges across police barracks and help guide practical interventions.

Disu said personnel who dedicate themselves to protecting lives and property deserve decent and conducive living conditions.

He described improved welfare as an important part of building a motivated, professional and effective police force.

“Personnel who dedicate themselves to the protection of lives and property deserve decent and conducive living conditions.”

Police pledge continued investment

The inspection is part of the IGP’s broader focus on personnel welfare and police reform, according to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu.

The police leadership said identified welfare needs would receive appropriate attention, although the statement did not provide details of specific projects, timelines or funding commitments.

The Force said it also plans to strengthen administrative responsiveness to infrastructure gaps in police barracks.

What the police say will happen next

The Nigeria Police Force said it remains committed to improving accommodation, welfare infrastructure and other support systems for officers and their families.

It said sustained investment in these areas would help create a better living environment for personnel while strengthening their ability to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.

However, the statement did not disclose the individual locations of the 23 barracks inspected or give details of the specific defects identified at each facility.

Further information on planned repairs, rehabilitation projects, funding and implementation timelines would provide a clearer picture of how the inspection findings will translate into improvements for police families.

The Delta State Police Command says it has rescued a 60-year-old man from kidnappers and arrested 10 suspects in separate operations across the state.

The operations, carried out in Agbor, Abbi and Oghara on 4 September, also led to the recovery of a locally made firearm and quantities of suspected illicit drugs, according to the command.

Kidnap victim rescued in Agbor

Police said operatives from Agbor Division, working with forest guards and local security personnel, moved to Alisime Village at about 18:00 following intelligence about the kidnapping of the 60-year-old man.

The officers reportedly engaged the kidnappers and rescued the victim unharmed.

According to the police, the suspects fled into the surrounding bush, with some believed to have sustained gunshot injuries during the encounter.

A mobile phone and an ATM card were recovered from the area, while police said a search for the fleeing suspects was continuing.

Police raid suspected hideout

Later that evening, at about 21:30, officers from the Command Anti-Cult Unit in Ozoro raided a brothel in Abbi following intelligence about a suspect wanted over an arson case in Owhelogbo Community in August.

The police said 10 people – seven females and three males – were arrested during the operation.

Tramadol, Swinol, Canadian Loud and substances suspected to be Indian hemp were also recovered, the command said.

Police said the suspects were being profiled and anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.

Firearm recovered in Oghara

In a separate operation at about 19:30, officers from Oghara Division and members of a civilian anti-cult group responded to a reported scuffle involving about eight people along Ibori Road.

The police said the suspects fled when they saw the patrol team.

One of the suspects, identified by the alias “Highest”, allegedly discarded a locally made cut-to-size gun while fleeing.

The firearm was recovered, while police said efforts were under way to identify and arrest the other suspects.

What the police said

Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel E. Erale, commended the officers and other security personnel involved in the operations.

He directed the command to intensify efforts to apprehend suspects who escaped and said the police would continue intelligence-led operations, raids of identified criminal hideouts and patrols across the state.

The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could help prevent and detect crime.

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Why it matters

The latest operations highlight the continued security challenges facing communities in Delta State, including kidnapping, cult-related activity, suspected drug offences and the circulation of locally made firearms.

However, the allegations against the arrested suspects have not been tested in court. Police investigations and profiling will determine whether charges are brought against them.

What happens next?

Police said the search for the kidnappers who escaped in Alisime and the suspects who fled in Oghara would continue.

The 10 people arrested in Abbi are also undergoing profiling, according to the command, with those found culpable expected to face prosecution.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has called for a major shift in the way Nigeria protects critical national infrastructure, advocating greater use of intelligence, technology and cooperation among security agencies and infrastructure owners.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Olusola Odumosu, made the call at the end of a two-day training programme on the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) in Abuja.

The training brought together area commanders, divisional officers and other NSCDC personnel at the FCT Command Headquarters.

From reactive security to prevention

Dr Odumosu said the protection of critical infrastructure should no longer depend mainly on ad-hoc or reactive security measures.

Speaking through the Command’s second-in-command, DCC Tijani Usman, who represented him at the event, he argued that infrastructure protection should instead be based on a standardised, intelligence-led and technology-driven operational doctrine.

He described the protection of critical national assets as a national responsibility rather than simply another operational assignment for security personnel.

Power grids, pipelines, railways, telecommunications facilities, water treatment plants, airports and government institutions, he said, underpin Nigeria’s economy, governance and national security.

“Doctrinal ownership requires the protection of CNAI to move from fragmented and reactive practices to a deliberate, standardized and professionally owned system in which every officer and relevant stakeholder understands, believes in and implements the established security doctrine.”

Why critical infrastructure protection matters

Damage to essential infrastructure can have consequences beyond the immediate physical asset.

According to the NSCDC Commandant, vandalism, sabotage or other forms of damage can disrupt healthcare and education services, reduce business productivity and affect public confidence.

He identified four areas he said should form the basis of a stronger protection strategy: intelligence-led prevention, physical security supported by technology, collaboration among stakeholders, and effective prosecution and deterrence.

The approach places emphasis on identifying threats before they develop rather than waiting until infrastructure has already been damaged.

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NSCDC wants more technology

Dr Odumosu called for greater use of technology alongside conventional security measures.

He said fences, gates and patrols remain important but should be complemented by tools such as closed-circuit television cameras, sensors, drones and digital incident-reporting systems.

The Commandant also highlighted the role of community engagement, private security intelligence and technical surveillance in creating early-warning mechanisms.

Telecommunications infrastructure under focus

The NSCDC Commandant paid particular attention to telecommunications infrastructure, describing it as the “central nervous system” of modern society.

He said telecommunications networks support communication, commerce and innovation, while also enabling the operation of other critical sectors, including electricity, transportation, oil and gas, financial services and national security.

He expressed concern about damage to installed fibre-optic infrastructure and warned of its potential implications for the Federal Government’s digital transformation plans.

The NSCDC said it is committed to developing practical, risk-based and intelligence-led security frameworks aimed at preventing avoidable damage to telecommunications infrastructure and improving the resilience of the sector.

Call for stronger cooperation

The Commandant said the NSCDC could not protect critical infrastructure alone.

He called on infrastructure owners, private security companies, host communities and other security agencies to improve information sharing and coordinate their responses to threats.

He also stressed the importance of prosecution, arguing that arrests alone would not be enough to deter infrastructure-related crimes.

According to him, stronger cooperation with relevant institutions, including the judiciary where necessary, would help ensure that suspects who are found guilty are dealt with according to the law.

What the training covered

The two-day programme exposed participants to areas including the designation of information infrastructure as critical national assets, intelligence gathering, surveillance-led patrols, the handling of suspects, legal procedures and the preservation of exhibits.

Dr Odumosu urged the officers to use the training to exchange operational experiences and strengthen their understanding of infrastructure protection.

He told participants that their responsibility extends beyond guarding physical structures, describing them as “guardians of national continuity.”

He urged them to return to their respective formations with a renewed commitment to making infrastructure protection a shared responsibility.

The programme ended with the presentation of certificates and gifts to participants.