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

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

The new Commissioner said his leadership would be anchored on professionalism, fairness, impartiality and respect for the rule of law, assuring residents that the command would work to maintain peace and protect lives and property.

“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,” Zungura said.

He described Osun as a peaceful state and pledged to address outstanding security concerns while building a stronger relationship between the police and residents.

The Commissioner’s assurance came as Adeleke raised concerns about police-civilian relations in the state and called for immediate reforms to restore public trust in the command.

The governor said Osun had experienced periods of political tension and that efforts to achieve lasting post-election reconciliation had yet to be fully realised in some areas.

Adeleke also expressed concern over a recent police operation in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, which he said resulted in the deaths of two people.

He alleged that the Divisional Police Officer in Ikire had been linked to the incident and called for immediate disciplinary action against the officer.

“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 reconciliation among political stakeholders and had extended an olive branch to various groups across the state.

He described Zungura’s deployment as timely, citing what he called a decline in public confidence in the police.

The governor presented the new Commissioner with five key demands aimed at improving police operations and rebuilding trust.

First, Adeleke urged the command to restore public confidence by addressing conduct and practices that had created the perception that the police were politically partisan or hostile to residents.

He also called for closer cooperation between the state government and the police command, stressing that his administration was not seeking preferential treatment but expected professional and impartial policing.

The governor’s third request was the restructuring of certain operational units within the command. He alleged that some units had been compromised and claimed there was a perception among residents that some had become a “home base of APC thugs.”

He urged Zungura to dissolve or reorganise any compromised units where necessary and ensure that police personnel remained politically neutral.

Adeleke further called for the police command to participate fully in meetings of the Osun State Security Council, saying such involvement was essential for effective intelligence sharing and coordination among security agencies.

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

The governor’s final request concerned individuals arrested over the post-election crisis. He appealed for the release of several Accord Party members whom he described as political detainees and called for an end to further arrests of party members.

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

The governor assured the new police leadership of his administration’s readiness to support security operations without imposing political conditions.

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

Zungura is a senior police officer with more than three decades of service in the Nigeria Police Force. He was born on February 1, 1967, and joined the force on June 10, 1994.

He holds LL.B and BL qualifications and previously served as a Deputy Commissioner of Police. In 2023, he was listed as DCP, General Investigation, at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja.

Zungura was among 17 senior officers promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police in July 2026. The officers were decorated by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

He was initially posted to Training and Courses at the Police Academy, Kano, before his subsequent deployment to Osun State.