The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has assured Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force will uphold professionalism in the conduct of security operations before, during and after the 2027 general elections.

Disu expressed confidence that the Force would deliver an improved performance at the polls, noting that lessons learnt from previous elections were being incorporated into preparations for the forthcoming exercise.

The police chief gave the assurance in Port Harcourt on Tuesday while speaking with journalists after the launch of The Origin of Women in Nigeria Police Force, a book authored by 96-year-old Dame Stella Okuyiga, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police and one of the 20 pioneer female officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

Addressing concerns about police readiness for the 2027 elections, Disu disclosed that the Force had convened a conference involving commissioners of police and other senior officers to assess previous electoral operations and identify areas requiring improvement.

He said the review was aimed at strengthening the Force’s capacity to manage the forthcoming elections more effectively.

“We have had two or three elections recently, and you can see that the police came very well and we did so well. We now brought all these experiences together, where we did well and where we did not do well, so that we can perform better in this big election that everybody is looking up to,” he said.

The IGP further assured Nigerians of the Force’s commitment to delivering a credible professional performance, declaring, “I give you my word. Nigeria Police will do so well, and we will make Nigeria Police so proud, and we will make Nigerians proud.”

Speaking on the significance of Okuyiga’s book, Disu praised the retired officer for documenting her experiences and preserving the history of women in the Nigeria Police Force.

He noted that Okuyiga, who joined the Force in 1955, had made a valuable contribution by recording her experiences and institutional knowledge for the benefit of serving officers and future generations.

According to him, the publication would serve as a reference material for female officers and others seeking to understand the history and evolution of women’s participation in policing in Nigeria.

Disu said the Force was determined to preserve the legacies of its past officers and ensure that their contributions to its development were not forgotten.

He also announced plans to distribute copies of the book to police training institutions across the country to expose officers to the experiences of earlier generations.

“We in the police, we are starting up the history of not leaving our own, not forgetting our own,” he said.

The IGP added that officers would be encouraged to study the publication to gain insights into the experiences and contributions of the pioneers who helped shape the Force.