The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has advocated for continued partnership between lawyers and the Nigeria Police Force in order to uphold the rule of law, protect lives, and safeguard property.

Speaking at the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026) in Owerri, Imo State, Badejo-Okusanya emphasized the shared responsibility of both institutions in strengthening Nigeria’s justice and security systems.

NBA President Advocates for Lawyers’ Role in Electoral Education

Badejo-Okusanya expressed the NBA’s readiness to collaborate with the police, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other stakeholders to enhance the electoral process. She highlighted the importance of lawyers in educating Nigerians about their electoral rights and responsibilities.

The conference, themed “Developing a Nigerian Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections”, focused on strategies for policing Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Participants discussed various topics, including intelligence-led policing, artificial intelligence, leadership, communication, inter-agency collaboration, training, public trust, and institutional accountability.

One of the organizers, Shina Philips, explained that CARSPO aims to provide the Nigeria Police Force with opportunities to review and adapt its strategies as security threats change over time.

Police Adopt Detailed Election-Security Plan

At the conference, the police adopted a detailed election-security plan, recommending stronger intelligence gathering, better inter-agency coordination, adequate logistics, specialized 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. Relevant election-security information will be digitized and stored in a secure central database.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, acknowledged the police’s efforts to improve professionalism during recent elections but stressed the need for adequate funding to ensure credible election security.

The retreat also highlighted the role of technology in policing, with Ross Alabo-George of Proxy Logic advocating for greater integration of police data, artificial intelligence, and analytics to enhance public trust and combat misinformation during elections.

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu warned police personnel against political partisanship, emphasizing their duty to protect citizens and enforce the law rather than determine electoral outcomes.

Disu directed senior officers to adopt a train-the-trainers approach, sharing conference lessons with deputy commissioners, area commanders, divisional officers, and other personnel to strengthen operational planning, intelligence gathering, and community engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.

Governor Uzodimma’s Role in Security Discussions

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma actively participated in the conference, delivering a lecture on security from a state government’s perspective. He discussed cooperation between the state, security agencies, and communities, highlighting the establishment of the Imo State Vigilante Service.

Technology and Police Preparedness

Ross Alabo-George, principal consultant at Proxy Logic, emphasized the need for the police to strengthen and standardize their processes before adopting digital tools. He advocated for greater integration of police data, artificial intelligence, and analytics to improve performance management and public trust.

Alabo-George warned that criminals could exploit technology to spread misinformation during elections, urging the police to broaden their preparedness beyond traditional crime fighting. Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu responded by stating that the police were already using technology, such as CCTV systems and facial recognition, in investigations and intelligence gathering.

The conference resolved to accelerate the adoption of smart, digital, and intelligence-led policing through process standardization, data-system integration, and responsible AI deployment for investigations, crime analysis, and operational decision-making.

CARSPO’s Evolution and Broader Objectives

CARSPO, initiated in 2019, has adapted its format and focus to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges. This year’s edition introduced panel discussions featuring retired senior police officers, allowing serving personnel to assess the relevance of traditional policing methods for contemporary issues. The host governor’s active participation in substantive security discussions marked another notable feature, offering police officers insights into government expectations and supporting collaboration between state authorities and security agencies.