By Adewole Kehinde
The recent posture adopted by the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria raises troubling questions about motive, objectivity, and institutional responsibility.
By hastily suspending relations with the Nigeria Police Force while a matter is still under investigation, IPI Nigeria appears to have joined the growing bandwagon of voices calling directly or indirectly for the removal of the father of Nigeria’s police professionalism, Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
One must ask: why the rush? Why would an organisation that prides itself on professionalism and due process choose to preempt an ongoing investigation with punitive actions and sweeping conclusions?
In any credible institutional setting, investigations are allowed to run their full course before judgements are passed. Yet, in this case, IPI Nigeria seems to have concluded first and asked questions later.
Even more puzzling is the assumed importance IPI Nigeria places on “police relations,” as though it is indispensable to the organisation of journalism in Nigeria.
What, really, are the tangible benefits of such relations when the statutory and professional responsibility of uniting journalists under a common umbrella lies squarely with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)?
The NUJ, alongside other reputable professional bodies, has long played that coordinating role without unnecessary theatrics or political grandstanding.
It is therefore commendable that the Nigeria Police Force firmly rejected what it rightly described as “unfounded allegations,” while also questioning the objectivity of IPI Nigeria’s response.
The Police leadership has made it clear that due process is being followed and that an internal investigation is already underway. This stance reflects institutional maturity, not defensiveness.
More importantly, the Police deserve applause for maintaining their commitment to media freedom and accountability even in the face of provocation. At no point has the Force suggested a retreat from transparency or engagement with the media.
Instead, it has insisted correctly that accountability must be guided by facts, not sentiments or external pressure.
The Nigeria Police Force also deserves praise for rejecting narratives that seek to undermine its leadership while an investigation is ongoing.
Such narratives do little to advance justice or reform; rather, they poison public discourse and erode trust in institutions that are actively trying to improve.
It is deeply inconsistent for IPI Nigeria to commend the Nigeria Police leadership behind closed doors, only to condemn the same leadership openly in public. This double-speak is not the hallmark of a reputable organisation.
Credible institutions allow investigations to conclude before making pronouncements. In this matter, however, IPI Nigeria rushed to suspend relations and went further to issue what many would consider outrageous demands, actions that suggest bias rather than balance.
In behaving this way, IPI Nigeria risks losing credibility in a manner that is both avoidable and self-inflicted.
In due course, it may become necessary for the international body of the IPI to scrutinise the conduct of its Nigeria chapter for being apolitical, biased, and mischievous, traits that undermine the very principles the organisation claims to uphold.
Thankfully, reputable professional bodies such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and others remain available to continue their unflinching support for the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of IGP Egbetokun.
These institutions understand that reform, accountability, and professionalism are best served by fairness, patience, and respect for due process, not by premature condemnation.
In the end, the strength of any democracy lies not in who shouts the loudest, but in who upholds principles even when emotions run high. On this score, the Nigeria Police Force has shown restraint and responsibility.
One hopes IPI Nigeria will reflect, retrace its steps, and return to the path of professionalism it so often preaches.
Adewole Kehinde is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja. email: kennyadewole@gmail.com