New Osun CP Pledges to Restore Peace, Rebuild Public Trust

The newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Osun State, CP Ibrahim Zungura, has pledged to work closely with the state government and other stakeholders to restore peace, strengthen security and rebuild public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.

Zungura made the commitment on Monday when he led senior officers of the Osun State Police Command on a courtesy visit to Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Government House in Osogbo.

The new commissioner assured the governor and residents of the state that his leadership of the command would be guided by professionalism, impartiality, fairness and respect for the rule of law.

“I promise to work with the state government for peace and stability of the state. I will be fair to all, and I will prove my commitment in the next few weeks. Osun is a peaceful state, and we will work to address all outstanding issues,” Zungura said.

He said the command would seek to establish a new relationship between the police and residents, with emphasis on restoring public trust and ensuring effective protection of lives and property.

Responding, Governor Adeleke expressed concern over the state of police-civilian relations in Osun and called for urgent reforms within the command.

The governor said the state had passed through turbulent political periods and that genuine post-election peace and reconciliation had yet to be fully achieved in some parts of Osun.

Adeleke specifically raised concerns over a recent police operation in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, which he said resulted in the deaths of two persons.

According to him, the Divisional Police Officer in Ikire had been “fingered” in the incident and should face immediate disciplinary action.

“Based on all details of the attacks, I request immediate commencement of disciplinary action against the DPO. He has become a threat to the people he was posted to protect,” the governor said.

Adeleke said his administration was pursuing post-election peace and reconciliation initiatives and had extended an olive branch to political stakeholders across the state.

He described Zungura’s deployment to Osun as coming at an “auspicious time”, particularly against the backdrop of what he described as a decline in public confidence in the police.

The governor outlined five major requests to the new commissioner, saying their implementation would help restore confidence in the police and consolidate peace across the state.

He urged the new police leadership to rebuild public confidence by addressing practices and conduct that had created the perception that the command was partisan or anti-people.

Adeleke also called for a stronger working relationship between the state government and the police command, stressing that his administration was not seeking preferential treatment but expected fair and professional policing.

The governor further requested the reorganisation of some operational structures within the command.

He alleged that some operational units had been compromised, claiming there was a perception among residents that certain units had become a “home base of APC thugs.”

He therefore urged the new commissioner to dissolve and restructure operational units where necessary to restore public confidence and ensure that police personnel remained neutral in political matters.

Adeleke also called for the police command’s full participation in meetings of the Osun State Security Council, describing such participation as essential for effective coordination of security operations and intelligence among security agencies.

He alleged that the immediate past leadership of the command had not attended a State Security Council meeting since 2024.

The governor further appealed for the release of some Accord Party members arrested in connection with the post-election crisis, whom he described as political detainees.

“I also call for the release of several Accord members arrested and detained as political detainees. Further arrests of our members should also stop,” he said.

Adeleke assured the new police leadership that his administration was ready to support security operations without attaching political conditions to such assistance.

“Our government is ready to support police operations without any strings attached. What we seek is fair policing,” the governor stated.

CP Ibrahim Umar D. Zungura is a senior police officer with more than three decades of policing experience. He joined the Nigeria Police Force on June 10, 1994, and holds LL.B and BL qualifications.

Before his promotion to the rank of Commissioner of Police, Zungura served as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, including as DCP, General Investigation, at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja.

He was among 17 senior police officers promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police in July 2026 and decorated by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Following his promotion, he was initially assigned to Training and Courses at the Police Academy, Kano, before his subsequent deployment to Osun State.