Why IGP Egbetokun deserves to be celebrated – Society for Peace Studies and Practice

As part of actions to celebrate the achievements of the incumbent Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) decided to publish a book, ‘Readings in Policing, Peace and Security’. This book, done by the SPSP, is a collection of essays in honour of Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, who is also a Fellow of the Society.

In the Preface of the book, Prof. Isaac Olawale Albert, Founder of SPSP, Board Member SPSP and Full Member Chatham House London (113597), also of the University of Ibadan, said that, to put all other issues raised in this treatise in the proper perspective, it is necessary to start here by providing some basic information about SPSP.

He said that, though it did not effectively take off until 2002, the Society was formed in 2000 alongside the postgraduate (MA and PhD) course of the University of Ibadan in peace and conflict studies with the support of the British Council. The original intention was to make it serve as a body through which those graduating from the course and their teachers could bond to engage in peace practice.

Most authors of the book are members of the Society who feel compelled to celebrate one of their own to motivate others to greater heights.

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Though the Society has many police officers as members, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun is the first Police Officer to be promoted from SPSP Member to Fellowship status.

He graduated from one of the peace studies programmes established by the Society: the Centre for Peace and Security Studies at the Al-Hikmah University in Ilorin, Nigeria, making his appointment to be considered a watermark in the annals of the Society.

Egbetokun is also celebrated for his partnership with SPSP, silently promoting “community engagement” in Nigeria since his days as Commissioner of Police in Kwara State.

This book contains 54 articles from reputable academics and practitioners and is designed to be a credible reference resource on policing, peace, and security in Nigeria.

The publication’s focus, as the title suggests, is on ‘policing’ and not the Nigeria Police.

How do we differentiate between the two? Policing is the act of protecting citizens generally. It is an activity that involves several agencies: military and para-military agencies. The Nigerian police, a specific policing institution, is the lead agency for protecting the country’s internal security in Nigeria and is the institution that Egbetokun heads.

However, the present publication seeks not to study the police alone but a broad spectrum of the security challenges in the country and the efforts made to contend with them.

The position of the SPSP, which Dr. Egbetokun supported and is taking to greater heights, calls attention to a critical lesson in policing. Police institutions would only function well if closely linked with the society they police. That is the logic!

How can the like of the SPSP be supported to link the state and society on policing generally?

The core belief of the SPSP is that peace will continue to elude Nigeria until the experiences, moods and feelings of the grassroots population in Nigeria are fed into the country’s peace and security architecture.

Conflicts occur in contexts that those managing the issues must understand and factor in their interventions. To this end, the main goal of SPSP is to build peace in Nigeria by linking the state and society more closely on peacebuilding issues.

The SPSP is more interested in Nigeria’s internal security than its external security. It matters a lot for the Society to work more closely with the police.

When the Ibadan peace and conflict studies started in 2000, it was realised that most of the books out there were produced by foreigners who sometimes misinterpreted the conflict situations in Nigeria and made recommendations that needed to be in tune with building sustainable peace in the African continent.

Hence, the academic programme and the SPSP gave birth to the decision to start promotion of publications that enable Africans to tell their own stories and develop management strategies that are in tandem with the African Union’s mantra of “African solutions to African problems.”

The SPSP’s ultimate goal is to bring peace to Nigeria through policy-relevant discourses and community engagement, with Dr. Egbetokun being part of this process before he became the IGP, which was one reason why his appointment excited many members of the society.

It was thought necessary to do this publication in his honour. However, several other publications were done or promoted by SPSP before this publication.

They include: (1) Knowledge economy and Nigeria’s National Security: Essays in honour of Basorun Seinde Arogbofa; (2) Urbanism and Crisis Management in Africa: A Festschrift for Akin Mabogunje; (3) Readings in Peace and Conflict: Essays in Honour of Professor Isaac Olawale; and (4) Leadership and Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Programmes: Essays in Honour of Elias Suleiman Bogoro.

Therefore, those behind the project must be specially commended for honouring Egbetokun and giving us another piece of literature to make Nigeria a better place.

A lot of work went into the production of the book, most especially during the rigorous review process of the papers. Only 54 of the submitted articles were accepted.

For this, the editors, the reviewers, and the authors are warmly appreciated for their efforts. The President of the Society, Nathaniel Awuapila, who worked closely with Prof. Noah Yusuf, and Dr. Abiola Adimula must be primarily appreciated for the sleepless nights they had on the book project.

Also is the Board Chair of SPSP, Prof. Elias Suleiman Bogoro, who made it all possible through his multi-sectoral push of everybody to get to this point.

The President, Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) Nathaniel Msen Awuapila, while acknowledging the roles and contributions of many to the successes of the book, also expressed the society’s gratitude to the Nigeria Police Commands for their cooperation in providing them with the necessary materials to successfully, complete the task.

He particularly appreciate Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Frank Mba, who has not only supported the implementation of the book project but is directly responsible for operationalizing the component of the partnership with the Police that involves the training of Police cadets.

Awuapila similarly appreciate the notable contributions of the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, who excellently facilitated the meetings of SPSP delegations with the IGP and the top Police leadership.

The SPSP express their appreciation to the partner universities, including Universtity of Ibadan, Al-Hikmah University Ilorin, Lagos State University, University of Ilorin, University of Lagos, Bauchi State University and Gombe State University, for their combined assistance in finishing this book. We are delighted by the successful completion of this project.

The society also commended the Vice Chancellors who supported them and their agenda, including Professors Tekena Tamuno of blessed memory, Isaac Adewole, Kayode Adebowale, and Adebola Ekanola of the University of Ibadan; Nuhu Yaqub of the University of Abuja; Is’haq Oloyede and Wahab Egbewole of the University of Ilorin; Noah Yusuf of the Al-Hikmah University Ilorin, Sola Akinrinade of the Osun State University Osogbo, Umaru Pate of the Federal University Kazere, and Kyari Mohammed of the Modibo Adama University Yola and the Nigerian Army University Biu; Olayemi Akinwumi of the Federal University Lokoja, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello of the Lagos State University, and Marietu Tenuche of the Kogi State University, Anyingba.

The book, ‘Readings in Policing, Peace and Security’ honouring Kayode Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, NEAPS, fspsp, the 22nd indigenous Inspector General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has 54 well researched scholarly and practice articles, divided into volumes one (Policing) and two (Security, Peace and Development).

It was designed to be a credible resource of reference on policing, peace and security.

SPSP recognised that few figures stand as tall and resolute as IGP Kayode Egbetokun in the policing landscape in Nigeria, as his remarkable blend of academic and professional excellence has set a new standard for policing in Nigeria, inspiring a new generation of officers to emulate. The book publication committee chaired by the Chairman SPSP Board of Trustees, Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro, strategically positioned the book in its highest echelon with the Foreword written by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. The book was conceived and proposed by Associate Professor Ruth Abiola Adimula of Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, a Fellow of SPSP who also served as the Secretary of the Book Publication Committee.