The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approached the Tertiary Education Trust Fund for support in developing the newly established Nigeria Police Academy in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, warning that poor educational standards within the force remain the root cause of unprofessional conduct and public complaints against officers.

Disu appealed during a visit to TETFUND headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, where he was accompanied by senior officers from the force.

"We value education. If you notice any lapses in what we do, what the police do, all the complaints you have against the police boil down to education," the IGP stated.

He outlined plans to equip officers with specialised skills in forensic science, criminology, data analytics, artificial intelligence and cyber security, arguing that modern policing demands far more than conventional training methods.

"You cannot do good policing without having wonderful forensic officers and wonderful forensic departments to assist you in doing your job. We need to have specialists, we need to have criminologists," Disu noted.

The IGP disclosed that officers are already receiving training in drone operations, artificial intelligence for crime prediction and data analytics to anticipate patterns such as the seasonal spike in offences during the ember months. He also referenced a past exercise in which officers were asked to identify criminals from photographs, only to discover that the individuals flagged were medical doctors and scientists, underscoring the danger of profiling without scientific grounding.

"Policing has gone beyond this. We want to be scientific," he declared.

Disu appealed to TETFUND for funding towards lecture theatres, laboratories, ICT facilities, libraries and staff development programmes to ensure the academy launches on a solid foundation.

In response, TETFUND Executive Secretary Sonny Echono pledged the agency's support, describing the decision as consistent with President Bola Tinubu's directive to modernise the Nigerian Police through education. Echono confirmed that a joint inspection of the academy's infrastructure needs would be conducted the following week.

He urged the IGP to pursue full university status for the institution before the end of his tenure, noting that such accreditation would make the academy eligible for direct annual disbursements from the fund.