Trending 
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has said the era of impunity within the Nigeria Police Force is over, adding that steps will be taken to strengthen and upgrade the traffic warden unit.
Disu made the remarks on Friday in Benin, Edo State, during an interactive visit to the Edo State Police Command, where he engaged officers on operational and welfare challenges.
He said discussions with personnel exposed him to long-standing concerns within the system, including complaints about neglect of the traffic warden unit.
According to him, officers used the session to state issues that had not previously received attention, prompting a review of possible reforms upon his return to headquarters in Abuja.
He noted that one of the concerns raised was the prolonged absence of recruitment into the traffic warden corps, describing it as a matter that would now be reconsidered as part of broader restructuring efforts.
“I am leaving here with what they have told me in confidence. And they have been able to open my thoughts.
“Now I have one or two things to do when I get back to Abuja. Things I never gave thought to. For example, an officer of the traffic warden stood up and said, for many years now, there have not been recruitments into the corps of traffic wardens. That got me thinking. The traffic warden unit should be upgraded. So when I get back home, we are going to talk about it,” he said.
On internal discipline, the police chief referenced a recent case involving officers accused of unlawfully killing a civilian, saying such conduct would no longer be tolerated within the force.
He said the individuals involved were promptly arrested, dismissed from service, and would be prosecuted, describing the action as evidence of a new approach to accountability.
Disu stressed that misconduct and abuse of authority would be treated as impunity, adding that the police leadership was committed to building a more professional institution.
“That’s impunity. You arrested somebody who was not struggling with you, you brought him out in daylight and you shot him.
“The police rose up to the occasion immediately, tried them, dismissed them, and they are going to charge them to court. That is the meaning of impunity.
“Like I mentioned earlier, the era of impunity is over. We have to have the new Nigerian Police Force. I know I cannot do it alone, that is why I have come here to talk to them, so that all of us will be on the same page,”Disu stated.
He said officers across the command had expressed commitment to aligning with ongoing reforms to improve public trust in the police.
