The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has called for sustained cooperation between lawyers and the Nigeria Police Force in protecting the rule of law, lives and property, saying both institutions have a shared responsibility to strengthen Nigeria’s justice and security systems.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-IDRI-Masterclass.png")
Badejo-Okusanya spoke at the just-concluded sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026) held in Owerri, Imo State, where senior police officers, government officials, election administrators, lawyers, security experts and other stakeholders examined strategies for policing Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We believe that as partners in progress, aiming for the same goal, protection of the rule of law, protection of lives and property, we all have a role to play. And we are working together,” the NBA President said.
She said the Association was pleased to be part of the discussions on election security and was prepared to work with the police, the Independent National Electoral Commission and other institutions to improve the electoral process.
“I see a deliberate intention to come together to address the problems and to provide solutions for them,” she said, adding that the NBA was happy to be involved in efforts aimed at making future electoral cycles less rancorous and violent. She also backed a stronger advocacy role for lawyers in educating Nigerians about their electoral rights and responsibilities.
The three-day retreat, held from September 21 to 23, 2026, had as its theme, “Developing a Nigerian Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.” Although the 2027 general elections occupied a central place in the discussions, participants also examined intelligence-led policing, artificial intelligence, leadership, communication, inter-agency collaboration, training, public trust and institutional accountability.
One of the organisers of the conference, Shina Philips, said CARSPO was designed to provide the Nigeria Police Force with an opportunity to continually review and adapt its strategies as criminals and security threats evolve.
“Crime is evolving. Criminals are evolving. So, the police are rethinking their strategic and tactical approaches. They are looking at themselves to rejig the system and reposition themselves,” Philips said.
Using an expression to illustrate the need for constant adaptation, he added: “Any man watching a masquerade cannot stand in one place.”
Philips praised Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu for their roles in the conference, saying their contributions supported its broader objective of ensuring that the police do not confront emerging security challenges with strategies designed for an earlier period.
CARSPO, which began in 2019, has evolved in both format and subject matter as Nigeria’s security environment has changed.
Previous editions featured syndicate sessions where officers broke into groups to deliberate on specific issues. At the 2026 edition, organisers introduced panel discussions involving retired senior police officers, enabling serving personnel to draw from their experience and assess whether older policing approaches remained suitable for contemporary challenges.
Another feature of this year’s programme was the participation of the host governor in substantive discussions on security.
Imo State has hosted three of the six editions of CARSPO.
Governor Uzodimma welcomed participants and delivered a lecture in which he discussed security from the perspective of a state government, including cooperation between the state, security agencies and communities, as well as the establishment of the Imo State Vigilante Service.
Philips said the governor’s participation exposed senior police officers to government expectations and provided another perspective on how state authorities and security agencies could cooperate.
Uzodimma subsequently hosted the police leadership, facilitators and participants to a dinner in Owerri.
On election security, IGP Disu warned police personnel against political partisanship, stressing that the Force’s responsibility was to protect citizens and enforce the law rather than determine electoral outcomes.
“We protect citizens and enforce the law. We do not decide political outcomes,” Disu said.
He warned that officers found taking sides, collaborating improperly with political actors, harassing voters or abusing police powers would face investigation and sanctions.
“Our duty does not begin on election day. It covers the whole electoral cycle,” he said.
Disu said the quality of the 2027 elections would depend significantly on the ability of security agencies to secure voters, candidates, electoral personnel, sensitive materials and communities throughout the electoral process.
He summarised the conduct expected of officers during elections in four words: “Neutral, prepared, present, accountable.”
At the conclusion of the conference, the police adopted a comprehensive election-security roadmap covering the periods before, during and after elections.
Among the recommendations were stronger intelligence gathering, better inter-agency coordination, adequate logistics, specialised training, effective communication, accountability and a predictive approach to identifying electoral flashpoints.
The Force also resolved to establish an election-security task force with defined responsibilities, timelines, performance indicators and monitoring mechanisms, while relevant election-security information would be digitised and maintained in a secure central database.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, who participated in the conference, said the police had made efforts to improve their professionalism during recent elections.
“The question is whether the Nigerian police is playing its role properly as far as the election is concerned. And in answer as far as I’m concerned, the police have tried so much. They are trying to be professional in recent elections,” Amupitan said.
He also stressed that credible election security required adequate funding.
“If we want the election to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said.
Amupitan added that the ultimate mission of the Nigeria Police should reflect the expectations of Nigerians, including the expectation that the Force should be adequately equipped to discharge its responsibilities.
Technology also featured prominently at the retreat.
Ross Alabo-George, principal consultant at Proxy Logic, argued that the police must first strengthen and standardise their processes if digital transformation was to deliver the desired results.
“You cannot digitise or transform digitally without a solid process,” he said.
He advocated greater integration of police data, artificial intelligence and analytics, improved performance management and stronger public trust.
Alabo-George also warned that criminals could deploy technology to spread misinformation and create tension during elections, arguing that police preparedness must therefore extend beyond conventional crime fighting.
Responding, Disu said the police were already deploying technology, including CCTV systems, facial recognition and analytics, in investigations and intelligence gathering.
“Talking about AI in the police is not a new thing,” the IGP said, adding that he had seen cases resolved through CCTV footage and facial-recognition technology.
He nevertheless cautioned that artificial intelligence must be deployed carefully, noting that the usefulness of its output depended significantly on the instructions supplied to it.
The conference consequently resolved to accelerate the Force’s movement towards smart, digital and intelligence-led policing through process standardisation, data-system integration and the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence for investigations, crime analysis, threat detection and operational decision-making.
Philips, however, cautioned against viewing CARSPO solely through the lens of the 2027 general elections.
While describing improved security during the elections as an important objective, he said the larger purpose was to build a police institution capable of responding to security challenges beyond one electoral cycle.
“There is a life beyond 2027, and there’s a life beyond the next year’s election,” he said.
He explained that this broader philosophy was why successive editions of the conference had adjusted their themes and formats to reflect emerging threats and developments in policing.
At the close of the retreat, Disu told senior officers that the ultimate measure of the conference would not be the resolutions reached in Owerri but how those resolutions were implemented across police commands and formations.
He directed participants to adopt a train-the-trainers approach by sharing lessons from the conference with deputy commissioners of police, area commanders, divisional police officers, tactical commanders and other personnel.
The IGP further urged commands to strengthen operational planning, intelligence gathering, personnel training and community engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, reiterating that the loyalty of the police must remain with the Constitution, the law and the Nigerian people rather than any political party, candidate or interest group.
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
