Bishop Seun Adeoye, the Lead Bishop of the Worldwide Anglican Church (WAC) in Nigeria, has commended the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, for his significant achievements over the past 12 months since taking office.
In a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Friday, Bishop Adeoye, who also serves as the International Communication Director of the Church, stressedem the importance of recognising the IGP’s efforts.
He referred to Egbetokun’s speech at a recent meeting with top police officials in Abuja, which highlighted the progress made under his leadership.
The cleric, who also acts as the Spokesman for the World Bishops Council (WBC) in Africa, noted that he is not typically inclined to praise government officials. However, he found it hard to overlook Egbetokun’s accomplishments.
“When Egbetokun took over a year ago, I strongly urged him not to be an armchair IGP, especially since he assumed office during a time when criminals had nearly brought the country to its knees. Today, things are changing rapidly, and Nigerians are more secure than they were in the past,” Bishop Adeoye stated.
According to him, several key achievements of the Nigeria Police Force under Egbetokun’s leadership, including the rescue of 1,907 kidnapped victims, the arrest of 35,496 suspects for various crimes, the recovery of 2,750 firearms, 22,569 rounds of ammunition, and 1,540 vehicles nationwide within the past 12 months.
The founder of Sufficient Grace and Truth International Ministry also pointed out the IGP’s focus on the welfare of deceased officers’ families and significant infrastructural developments.
He noted that the police’s Legal and Prosecutions Section successfully prosecuted 29,052 criminal cases, resulting in 16,200 convictions.
Addressing the ongoing conflict between the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the IGP’s office over the recent police recruitment exercise, Bishop Adeoye urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene on the matter.
He however slammed the PSC workers’ union for calling for the IGP’s dismissal over his critique of the recruitment process, suggesting instead that a thorough investigation of his allegations should be conducted.
Bishop Adeoye encouraged Nigerians to continue supporting the country’s security forces and urged the IGP to remain vigilant, as issues such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and cultism are yet to be fully eradicated.
