CARSPO 2026: Philips praises Uzodimma and Disu for police conference

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 contributions to the recently held 2026 edition of the conference.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Mr Philips said their support helped CARSPO achieve its goal. This goal is to help the Nigeria Police Force update its strategies in response to changing crime and security threats.

He pointed out that criminals always change their methods. This makes it necessary for the police to regularly review their strategies, technology, and policing approaches.

“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.

Mr Philips gave an example of constant change with a saying: “Any man watching a masquerade cannot stand in one place.”

His comments explain the thinking behind CARSPO, which started in 2019. The conference has changed its themes and format as new security challenges have come up.

The sixth edition took place in Owerri, Imo State, from 21 to 23 September. The theme was “Developing a Nigerian Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”

The 2026 edition mainly focused on election security ahead of the 2027 general elections. Participants also looked at broader policing issues, including artificial intelligence, intelligence-led policing, leadership, communication, inter-agency cooperation, and public trust.

CARSPO’s changing approach

Mr Philips mentioned that the conference has changed over the years due to developments in policing and the wider security environment.

In past editions, there were syndicate meetings where participants broke into groups to discuss specific topics.

This year, the organisers added panel discussions with retired senior police officers. These officers shared their experiences and answered questions from active officers.

Mr Philips said this format allowed serving officers to learn from retired officers while checking if past approaches still apply to today’s policing.

Another new feature at the 2026 edition was the involvement of the host state’s governor in police discussions.

Why Imo featured prominently

Imo State has hosted three of the six CARSPO editions since it began, making Owerri the venue for half of the conferences.

Governor Uzodimma welcomed participants to the 2026 edition. He also delivered a lecture from the state government’s perspective.

He talked about the state’s approach to security. This included how they engage with security agencies and communities, as well as the creation of the Imo State Vigilante Service.

Mr Philips said having the governor involved gave police officers a different perspective from the usual operational and administrative talks within the Force.

He added that this arrangement helped officers understand government expectations. It also showed how state authorities and the police could work together on security.

Mr Philips thanked the governor for supporting the conference and for hosting CARSPO for the third time.

Later, Mr Uzodimma hosted police leaders, participants, and other guests to a dinner in Owerri.

Election security takes centre stage

Although CARSPO has discussed broader policing issues since it started, the 2026 edition focused on election security due to the upcoming 2027 elections.

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu warned officers against political bias. He 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 face investigation and punishment.

“Our duty does not begin on election day. It covers the whole electoral cycle,” he said.

The conference suggested a detailed election-security roadmap for before, during, and after elections. It also called for better intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, enough logistics, specialized training, effective communication, and accountability.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, said the police are working to improve their professionalism during 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 mentioned that funding is crucial, saying effective election security requires proper resources.

“If we want the election to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said.

Technology changes policing

The need to adapt to new threats was also part of the discussions on technology.

Ross Alabo-George, principal consultant at Proxy Logic, a tech-based company, said the police need to improve their processes before attempting digital transformation.

“You cannot digitise or transform digitally without a solid process,” he said.

Beyond the 2027 elections

For Mr Philips, the focus on election security at the 2026 conference should not be seen as the only 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 highlighted 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 on election security, intelligence-led policing, technology, training, communication, and accountability.

Mr Disu reminded senior officers that the real test would be how they implement the resolutions when they return to their commands.

He asked them to share the lessons learned with deputy commissioners of police, area commanders, divisional police officers, and tactical commanders.

For Mr Philips, the process of reviewing and adapting is key to CARSPO's purpose. This is to ensure that the police do not face new security challenges with outdated strategies.