Force PRO Olumuyiwa Adejobi promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police
The Nigeria Police Force has announced the elevation of its Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, from the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
The promotion, approved by the Police Service Commission, underscores DCP Adejobi’s exceptional service, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to the ideals of policing in Nigeria.
Adejobi was first appointed in acting capacity on 16th February 2022 as a CSP and took over from then CP Frank Mba. He was later confirmed by then IGP Usman Alkali (Rtd).
DCP Adejobi has served as the image maker of the Nigeria Police Force with distinction. Since his appointment as FPRO, he has led several strategic initiatives to rebuild public trust, improve accountability, and modernize the force’s communication channels.
DCP Adejobi studied Archaeology and Geography (Combined Honours) from the University of Ibadan.
He holds a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the same university. He had a long stint as Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State Police Command from 2008 to 2016.
DCP Adejobi has decades of experience in police operations, public relations, and law enforcement advocacy.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, congratulated DCP Adejobi on the new rank, urging him to remain a role model and continue to exemplify the core values of discipline, service, and integrity.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to rewarding merit and professionalism, as part of ongoing efforts to reposition the force for enhanced service delivery.
Force PRO Olumuyiwa Adejobi promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police
Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have arrested four people suspected of supplying logistics to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during separate intelligence-led operations in Borno and Yobe states.
The troops also intercepted 20 people believed to be relatives of Boko Haram members who reportedly fled their settlement following sustained military offensives against terrorist groups across the North-East.
The arrests were made on Monday as troops intensified efforts to disrupt the supply networks of insurgent groups and prevent them from accessing food, drugs, communication devices and other essential materials.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said two suspects were arrested during a cordon-and-search operation in Geidam, Yobe State.
According to the military, preliminary findings indicated that the suspects allegedly supplied hard drugs and other logistics to Boko Haram fighters operating in the area.
Items recovered from the suspects included substances suspected to be Indian hemp, several mobile phones, power banks, knives, torchlights, lighters, cigarette rolls, Pregabalin capsules, cough syrup, identity cards, ATM cards and N14,530 in cash.
The military said the recovered items would be examined further as investigations continue into the suspects’ alleged activities and possible links to terrorist support networks.
In a separate operation in Monguno, Borno State, troops working alongside personnel of the 242 Reconnaissance Battalion arrested two other suspects accused of supplying food and other essential items to ISWAP fighters.
Military authorities said the suspects allegedly admitted during interrogation that they transported food items and other supplies to insurgents operating around Kwatan Dowoshi village in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Items recovered during the operation included cartons of biscuits, Peak milk, sugar, sachets of garri, bars of soap, headlamps, lighters, mobile phones, an assault knife, herbal medicine, prayer beads, a charm belt and N6,600 in cash.
The military said the operations formed part of ongoing efforts to weaken the logistical networks that support Boko Haram and ISWAP activities across the North-East.
Security agencies have identified the movement of food, drugs, fuel, communication devices and other supplies as an important part of the support structure that enables terrorist groups to sustain operations in remote locations.
Meanwhile, troops on routine patrol along the Gezuwa axis of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State intercepted 20 people identified as suspected relatives of members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), commonly known as Boko Haram.
The group comprised nine women, two men and nine children.
According to the military, the individuals told investigators that they left their settlement after troops intensified operations against terrorist elements in the area.
The intercepted people were handed over to the 21 Military Intelligence Regiment for profiling and further assessment.
The military said the four arrested suspects and the recovered exhibits were also undergoing further investigation.
The latest operations come amid sustained military efforts to degrade Boko Haram and ISWAP capabilities across Borno, Yobe and other parts of the North-East.
Operation HADIN KAI has continued intelligence-led raids, patrols and clearance operations aimed at disrupting terrorist movements, cutting off supply routes and identifying suspected collaborators.
The military urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, noting that public cooperation remains important to efforts to protect communities and strengthen security across the region.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill
State Police Reform: FG Invites Nigerians to Submit Policy Proposals as Draft Bill Nears September Deadline
The Presidential Working Group on State Policing has opened a two-week public submission window for memoranda and policy proposals, setting the stage for a landmark legal framework that could redefine security architecture across Nigeria.
The Federal Government has officially called on Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, civil society organisations, security agencies, academics, professional bodies, and sub-national governments to contribute to the drafting of the proposed National Policing Bill, which seeks to establish a legal and operational framework for state police in Nigeria. The call was made public on Monday by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, following a high-level meeting at the State House, Abuja. The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed that all submissions will be reviewed and integrated into the draft bill, which will then be subject to further national consultation before being finalised and sent to the National Assembly. The development comes weeks after the National Assembly passed the bill following its transmission by President Bola Tinubu, signalling strong political will to actualise one of the most debated governance reforms in Nigeria’s recent history.
This public consultation exercise is critical because the Working Group is currently reviewing the Police Act 2020, the Police Service Commission framework, police regulations, and other relevant laws to develop a modern, effective, and accountable policing system. The proposed framework is expected to set national minimum standards for policing across all states, define state readiness and certification requirements before any state can operate its own police service, and clarify jurisdictional responsibilities between federal and state police forces. Additionally, the bill will ensure independent oversight and safeguard human rights, guarantee sustainable funding and financial accountability, and prevent the use of state police as a tool for political persecution – a concern earlier raised by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, who stressed that the legislation is designed to protect citizens from potential abuses of power at the sub-national level.
Nigerians have until August 13, 2026, to submit their memoranda and policy proposals through the dedicated portal at www.nationalpolicingbill.com, marking the close of a two-week submission window. The Presidential Working Group has adopted a seven-week, milestone-driven work programme running from July 27 to September 14, 2026, with the draft Executive Bill scheduled for presentation to President Bola Tinubu on September 3, 2026. Following this, national consultations will be held on the completed draft before it is finalised and transmitted to the National Assembly. All Nigerians, including professionals, academics, security experts, state and local governments, and civil society groups, are encouraged to participate in this historic policy-shaping process.
The new policing framework will impose strict operational readiness requirements on any state seeking to establish its own police service. According to Gbajabiamila, a proposed State Police Service must demonstrate credible arrangements in recruitment and vetting processes, training and capacity development, pay, pensions and welfare, equipment and logistics, custody and detention standards, complaints and discipline mechanisms, data management and reporting, firearms control and regulation, independent oversight bodies, and financial sustainability plans before it begins policing. These stringent criteria are designed to ensure that only states with the institutional capacity and financial resilience can operate their own police forces, thereby preventing a patchwork of poorly equipped or unaccountable state-level security services.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, represented by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, has described the state police initiative as one of the defining reforms of President Tinubu’s administration, expressing the forum’s commitment to ensuring the success of the policy. The Working Group is also considering recommending federal grants to assist states with limited financial capacity in establishing their police services, acknowledging the fiscal disparities among the 36 states. States that are not yet ready to establish their own service will continue to rely on the Nigeria Police Force until they meet the required standards, ensuring that no state is left without adequate security coverage during the transition period.
The final submission to the President will go beyond a conventional bill and is expected to include schedules and explanatory memoranda, a legal audit of existing policing laws, a state readiness framework, a fiscal and implementation note, and a risk register with transition arrangements. This comprehensive approach is designed to ensure that the reform is defensible, auditable, and capable of implementation across Nigeria’s diverse states, addressing everything from constitutional alignment to practical logistics on the ground.
The government has emphasised that this is a people-driven process, and by inviting input from all segments of society – including ordinary citizens, diaspora communities, and professional bodies – the Working Group aims to build a policing system that reflects the aspirations and realities of all Nigerians. As a senior official close to the Working Group noted, this is not just a government bill but a national project in which every Nigerian has a stake in how they are policed. Interested individuals and organisations are encouraged to visit www.nationalpolicingbill.com before August 13, 2026, to submit their memoranda and policy proposals, with all submissions to be reviewed and incorporated into the draft bill ahead of further national consultations.
State Police Reform: FG Invites Nigerians to Submit Policy Proposals as Draft Bill Nears September Deadline
Biafra Civil War: Gowon says Igbo bank depositors were fully paid, defends Awolowo over £20 policy
Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), has defended the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo against long-standing criticism over the controversial post-civil war £20 policy, saying the decision was taken collectively by the Federal Government and was not Awolowo’s personal policy.
Gowon also stated that people from the former Biafran territory who could provide evidence that they had money in Nigerian banks before or during the Nigerian Civil War received the full value of their deposits, including accrued interest.
The former Head of State made the clarification in his memoir, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, where he revisited the circumstances surrounding the currency policy introduced after the end of the civil war in January 1970.
The £20 policy has remained a subject of public debate for decades, with critics accusing Awolowo, who served as Federal Commissioner for Finance during the war, of restricting people from the former Biafran territory to a flat payment of £20, regardless of the amount they had held before the conflict.
However, Gowon said Awolowo had been unfairly blamed for a policy that was approved by the Federal Government after consultations and consideration of the economic challenges facing Nigeria at the end of the war.
According to Gowon, the Central Bank of Nigeria established a panel to examine the possible consequences of converting the Biafran pound into Nigerian currency.
He explained that the exercise was difficult because the Biafran currency was not recognised by the Federal Government as legal tender during the war.
Gowon said the large volume of Biafran currency in circulation also created concerns that exchanging all the notes at the same value as the Nigerian pound could have caused serious economic disruption.
Economic advisers subsequently recommended that the Federal Government provide a uniform payment of about £20 to each adult from the former Biafran territory, regardless of the quantity of Biafran currency presented.
“We agreed to the proposal and made it our official policy,” Gowon wrote, adding that the government faced major difficulties in determining the volume of Biafran currency in circulation and establishing a practical basis for converting it.
He maintained that the decision was made by the Federal Government and should not be attributed solely to Awolowo.
Gowon further stated that people who had left Nigeria but could provide proof that they held funds in Nigerian banks received the full value of their deposits, including interest, in Nigerian currency.
“Everyone who left Nigeria but had proof that they had money in Nigerian banks got the full amount of their money plus the interest it earned, all in Nigerian currency,” he said.
The former military leader argued that adopting a different approach could have created significant economic and administrative challenges during Nigeria’s post-war recovery.
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafra War, began in 1967 and ended in January 1970 following the surrender of Biafran forces.
After the war, Gowon declared a policy of “no victor, no vanquished” and introduced the Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation programme, widely known as the 3Rs.
The programme was designed to promote national unity, rebuild war-affected communities and support the reintegration of the former Eastern Region into Nigeria.
Despite the government’s post-war reconciliation agenda, the £20 policy remains one of the most debated aspects of Nigeria’s post-civil war history.
Critics have argued that the policy caused financial hardship for many people in the former Biafran territory, particularly those who lost access to savings, could not provide documentation for their bank deposits or were unable to recover the value of assets affected by the war.
Some historians and commentators have also questioned whether the post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes adequately addressed the economic losses and long-term effects experienced by communities affected by the conflict.
Gowon’s account has renewed public discussion about the Biafra Civil War, the post-war currency policy and Awolowo’s role in the Federal Military Government.
While Gowon maintains that verified Nigerian bank deposits were fully repaid with interest and that Awolowo should not be held personally responsible for the £20 policy, the issue continues to generate debate over post-war justice, economic recovery, historical memory and national reconciliation.
Biafra Civil War: Gowon says Igbo bank depositors were fully paid, defends Awolowo over £20 policy
