Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbemiga Abimbola, has urged journalists in the state to support the police in maintaining security and improving public perception. He made the appeal during a meeting with executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the state Police Command headquarters in Ibadan on Thursday. Abimbola emphasized that partnership with the media was essential in tackling emerging security threats and correcting public misconceptions about police operations. He described security as a collective responsibility and said credible information from the public and press was vital to successful police work.
Abimbola, who once worked as a cub reporter with Radio Kwara, warned against the spread of misinformation, calling on journalists to uphold professional standards. He said the police were intensifying internal discipline and encouraged reporters to report officer misconduct directly to the command. The commissioner confirmed that a new police unit, established by Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, would be inaugurated at the Oyo State Command on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Officers assigned to the unit had already undergone specialized training, he added.
NUJ Oyo State Chairman Akeem Abas praised Abimbola for his leadership and credited the police with contributing to the current level of peace in the state. He highlighted the role of journalists as agenda setters and stressed the need for collaboration between the media, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2027 general elections. Abas announced plans for a media summit to support election preparedness. The visit aligns with broader efforts to strengthen ties between security agencies and the press in curbing misinformation and promoting public trust.
Abimbola calls for media support to correct public misconceptions about the police, yet his own command operates without public scrutiny of past misconduct cases. He once worked as a reporter but now asks journalists to report police wrongdoing internally rather than through their platforms. This undermines transparency, especially as the new police unit launches without public details on its mandate or oversight. The push for collaboration ahead of 2027 elections risks normalizing self-censorship under the guise of partnership.
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