Police, Rotary Must Partner for Sustainable Security — IGP at Rotary DISCON 2026

The Nigeria Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called for stronger collaboration between communities, security agencies and civic organisations as a strategy for achieving sustainable peace, security and national development across Nigeria. Speaking as guest speaker at the Rotary International District 9141 Joint Conference (DISCON) 2026 held in Benin City at the weekend, the Police Chief said effective policing cannot succeed in communities where trust between citizens and law enforcement agencies has broken down. Addressing Rotarians and stakeholders at the conference, the IGP stressed that security is not built on force alone but on relationships, cooperation and public confidence. “You cannot police a community that does not trust you. You can deploy officers, mount operations and enforce curfews, but if the people look at the uniform and see an adversary rather than a protector, then you have already lost the most important factor before the work even begins,” he said. According to him, real security is achieved when residents willingly support law enforcement efforts by reporting suspicious activities and engaging security agencies without fear or hostility. The IGP used the occasion to propose a strategic partnership between the Nigeria Police Force and Rotary clubs across District 9141 and beyond, urging Rotary leaders to work directly with police divisions within their communities to develop people-oriented safety initiatives. He charged every Rotary club president to identify the nearest police division in their locality and engage commanders in practical discussions aimed at solving community challenges collaboratively. The Police Boss suggested several areas of partnership, including school safety clubs, youth mentorship programmes, anti-drug campaigns, public enlightenment initiatives and community dialogue platforms where residents and police officers can openly interact and rebuild trust. “These are not expensive ideas and they are not complicated ideas. They simply require two groups of service-minded people deciding that the barrier between them is not a wall but a door, and choosing to open it,” he stated. The IGP further noted that security and development are inseparable, maintaining that sustainable economic growth cannot thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity. “You cannot build roads in communities where people live in fear. You cannot run schools where teachers are threatened daily. You cannot grow markets where traders cannot move freely,” he added. Reflecting on his personal commitment to public service, the police chief said his values as a law enforcement officer align closely with the ideals of Rotary International. “I wear the uniform of the Nigerian Police Force with pride and I carry the Rotary pin with equal pride. I stand before you not as two different men, but as one man with a unified purpose,” he declared. Quoting Sir Robert Peel, founder of modern Policing, the IGP reiterated that “the police are the public and the public are the police,” stressing that public safety must be seen as a shared responsibility between citizens and law enforcement agencies. He therefore called on Rotarians and community leaders to deepen engagement with security institutions in order to build safer and more prosperous communities across Nigeria. The conference attracted Rotarians, traditional rulers, government officials, security stakeholders and community development advocates from across the district.