June 17, (THEWILL) — The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has directed the Kano State Police Command to leverage data analytics, digital forensics, and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows.
IGP Disu gave the directive while delivering a strategic lecture to the officers and men of the command with the Theme: “Asymmetric Threat Preemption, Urban Gang Management, and Securing Commercial Hubs”, at the command’s headquarters, Bompai, Kano, on Wednesday.
Represented by Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Finance and Administration, Sulaiman M. Abdul, the IGP said: “The Kano State Police Command must fully leverage data analytics, digital forensics, and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows that sustain gang activities.
“Compliance with the Suspects’ Information Capturing Process within the Nigeria Police Force Incidents and Crime Database (NPF-ICD) must be enforced across all divisions and tactical offices without exception.
“This will enable you to build comprehensive criminal histories, trace syndicates, and systematically isolate repeat offenders”, he said.
According to Disu, Kano’s security challenges are distinctly shaped by its high population density, rapid urbanisation, and vast commercial transactions.
“Your primary mandate is to neutralise urban criminal syndicates – specifically violent youth gangs (Yan Daba), prevent cyber-enabled financial fraud, and ensure that transnational or insurgent criminal elements do not exploit the state’s sprawling commercial networks as a logistical or hiding base.
“The IGP’s administration policy thrust dictates that modern urban policing cannot be achieved through physical presence alone; it must be powered by timely, accurate, and actionable information”, he said.
The IGP also urged the command to strictly enforce the national directive against unregistered or concealed vehicle number plates, which criminal elements use to maintain anonymity during urban operations.
“Because urban security relies heavily on public cooperation, your town hall engagements with market associations, youth organisations, religious bodies, and traditional institutions must be institutionalised on a monthly basis”, he added.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Dr Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, disclosed that the command had arrested and prosecuted 1,357 suspects between January 2026 and June 2026 for offences including armed robbery, kidnapping, thuggery, drug-related crimes and motor vehicle thefts.
Bakori attributed the successes to intelligence-led investigations, proactive policing operations, the launch of the Violent Crime Response Unit, and the implementation of Operation Kukan Kura, a community-based crime-fighting initiative.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
