Nigeria’s Police Inspector‑General dispatches 1,000 Ondo officers to Lagos, orders DPOs to pay ₦39,000 transport levy
Nigeria’s Inspector‑General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has today deployed 1,000 officers from Ondo State to reinforce security in Lagos ahead of its upcoming local government elections. The directive comes via a wireless message dated July 9, 2025, instructing Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to arrange their own transport by contributing ₦39,000 each toward logistics costs.
The unprecedented move is drawing scrutiny over its funding method. Critics say asking DPOs to self‑finance operational transport is irregular and could undermine chain‑of‑command structure and morale—while supporters frame it as a necessary workaround to fund urgent election security.
Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub with a population surpassing 20 million, has historically experienced tensions around local elections. The IG's intervention is a bid to ensure smoother, violence‑free polls, but the levy order adds complexity to the administration’s broader strategy.
As LG polls draw near, public discourse is shifting to whether state-level deployments should be funded centrally or passed onto local commanders. The decision may set a precedent ahead of next year’s general election.
I’m Adedayo Obadina
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