Shina Philips, one of the organisers of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO), has praised Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu for their roles in the just-concluded 2026 edition of the conference.
Mr Philips, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, said their contributions supported the broader objective of CARSPO, which is to help the Nigeria Police Force review and adapt its strategies in response to the changing nature of crime and security threats.
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He said criminals were constantly evolving their methods, making it necessary for the police to regularly reassess their strategies, technology, and approach to policing.
“Crime is evolving. Criminals are evolving. So, the police are rethinking their strategic and tactical approaches. They are looking at themselves to rejig the system and reposition themselves,” he said.
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Mr Philips illustrated the need for constant adaptation with an expression: “Any man watching a masquerade cannot stand in one place.”
His comments offer an insight into the thinking behind CARSPO, which began in 2019 and has evolved in its themes and format as new security challenges have emerged.
The sixth edition was held in Owerri, Imo State, from 21 to 23 September, with the theme, “Developing a Nigerian Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
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While the 2026 edition focused largely on election security ahead of the 2027 general elections, participants also examined broader policing issues, including artificial intelligence, intelligence-led policing, leadership, communication, inter-agency cooperation and public trust.
CARSPO’s changing approach
Mr Philips said the conference itself had changed over the years in response to developments in policing and the wider security environment.
Previous editions featured syndicate meetings where participants broke into groups to discuss specific issues.
This year, organisers introduced panel discussions involving retired senior police officers who shared their experiences and answered questions from serving officers.
Mr Philips said the format allowed serving officers to draw from the experience of retired officers while examining whether previous approaches remained relevant to present-day policing.
Another feature introduced at the 2026 edition was the participation of the host state’s governor in discussions on policing.
Why Imo featured prominently
Imo State has hosted three of the six editions of CARSPO since its inception, making Owerri the venue for half of the conferences.
Governor Uzodimma welcomed participants to the 2026 edition and delivered a lecture from the state government’s perspective.
He discussed the state’s approach to security, including its engagement with security agencies and communities, as well as the establishment of the Imo State Vigilante Service.
Mr Philips said bringing the governor into the programme provided police officers with a perspective different from the operational and administrative discussions within the Force.
He said the arrangement allowed officers to understand government expectations and consider how state authorities and the police could work together on security.
Mr Philips also expressed appreciation to the governor for supporting the conference and making Imo available to host CARSPO for the third time.
Mr Uzodinma later hosted the police leadership, participants and other guests to a dinner in Owerri.
Election security takes centre stage
While CARSPO has addressed broader policing issues since its inception, the 2026 edition placed election security at the centre because of the 2027 elections.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, warned officers against political bias and stressed the need for the Force to remain neutral.
“We protect citizens and enforce the law. We do not decide political outcomes,” Mr Disu said.
He warned that officers who take sides, collude with political actors, harass voters or abuse police powers would be investigated and punished.
“Our duty does not begin on election day. It covers the whole electoral cycle,” he said.
The conference subsequently recommended a comprehensive election-security roadmap covering the period before, during and after elections.
It also called for stronger intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, adequate logistics, specialised training, effective communication, and accountability.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, said the police had made efforts to improve their professionalism during recent elections.
“The question is whether the Nigerian police is playing its role properly as far as the election is concerned. And in answer as far as I’m concerned, the police have tried so much. They are trying to be professional in recent elections,” Mr Amupitan said.
He also raised the issue of funding, saying effective election security required adequate resources.
“If we want the election to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said.
Technology changes policing
The question of adapting to new threats also featured in discussions on technology.
Ross Alabo-George, principal consultant at Proxy Logic, a tech-based company, said the police needed to improve their processes before attempting digital transformation.
“You cannot digitise or transform digitally without a solid process,” he said.
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He advocated greater integration of police data, artificial intelligence and analytics, performance management and public trust.
Mr Disu said the Force was already deploying technologies including CCTV, facial recognition and analytics.
“Talking about AI in the police is not a new thing,” he said.
“I’ve seen instances where I’ve been able to solve matters through CCTV and facial recognition.”
He, however, cautioned that artificial intelligence must be used carefully.
“What you get out of AI is as good as the prompt you impute in it. Prompts make the difference in the use of AI,” he said.
Beyond the 2027 elections
For Mr Philips, the election-security focus of the 2026 conference should not be interpreted as the entire purpose of CARSPO.
“That’s our prayer. That’s the target,” he said when asked about the 2027 elections.
“But there is a life beyond 2027, and there’s a life beyond the next year’s election.”
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, also stressed the need for cooperation between the police and lawyers in protecting the rule of law, lives and property.
“As partners in progress, aiming for the same goal, [protection] of the rule of law, [protection] of lives and property, we all have a role to play. And we are working together,” she said.
The conference ended with recommendations covering election security, intelligence-led policing, technology, training, communication and institutional accountability.
Mr Disu told senior officers that the real test would be how the resolutions were implemented upon their return to their commands.
He asked that the lessons be shared with deputy commissioners of police, area commanders, divisional police officers, and tactical commanders.
For Mr Philips, that process of reviewing and adapting is central to the continuing purpose of CARSPO: ensuring that the police do not confront new security challenges with strategies designed for an earlier era.
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