Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, says much of the Nigeria Police Force’s work in preventing crime goes unnoticed, despite it being one of its most vital responsibilities.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the first joint forensic conference and public presentation of Fraud Unmasked, a book by Dr. Preal Ogbulu, Egbetokun—represented by Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Logistics and Supply, A. A. Hamza—emphasised that preventing crime is faster, cheaper, and spares victims from harm.
“For every crime that is prevented, for every crime you don’t see happen, a lot of efforts are put into it… Most importantly is preventing crime. It is cheaper, it is faster, and it reduces victimisation to victims,” he said, citing Section 4 of the Nigeria Police Act, which mandates the force to prevent and detect crime.
He lamented that public assessment often focuses on crimes that occur, overlooking the unseen successes in prevention.
“So for every crime we prevent, we are not seen as doing anything. But when we are actually rated is when crimes… take place,” he added.
Egbetokun praised Dr. Ogbulu for addressing forensic investigation, noting its key role in both crime prevention and prosecution. He stressed the need for inter-agency collaboration, saying recent years have brought “very perfect” synergy among security agencies, leading to “a lot of efforts and some successes.”
On the role of forensics, he said it is “a science that helps prosecution,” particularly in fraud-related cases.
In her remarks, Ogbulu described fraud as a national crisis that has robbed Nigeria of opportunities.
“This conference and book presentation is on how we can tackle fraud in our society. Fraud is not just a legal problem but a national crisis… We have brought together experts from various organisations… so we can further collaborate on how to tackle fraud,” she said.
