No fewer than 112 junior police officers of the Kwara State Police Command have completed a two-week combat operations training programme aimed at enhancing their tactical capabilities and improving operational readiness in addressing security challenges across the state.

The officers, comprising 30 corporals and 82 constables, underwent intensive practical and classroom-based training at the Police Training School, Ilorin, where they were equipped with skills in tactical firearm handling, combat craft, rescue operations, tactical movement, rules of engagement, use of force, ambush and counter-ambush techniques, officer safety, and other contemporary policing strategies.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, a copy of which was obtained by The PUNCH in Ilorin.

The exercise, according to the PPRO, “formed part of the ongoing capacity-building drive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to build a more professional, combat-ready and operationally effective police force.”

She noted that the training programme had the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adekimi Ojo, in attendance alongside members of the command’s management team and divisional police officers.

Addressing the participants at the closing ceremony, the commissioner expressed satisfaction with the level of improvement, discipline, and coordination displayed by the officers during the exercise.

He said the training underscored the importance of continuous professional development and operational preparedness in modern policing.

“The enhanced tactical proficiency demonstrated by the participants reflects the value of continuous professional development and operational preparedness in modern policing,” the commissioner said.

Ojo noted that the training was in line with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police to strengthen intelligence-led policing and improve the effectiveness of police operations across the country.

“The training aligns with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to institutionalise intelligence-led policing, improve operational effectiveness, and strengthen the capacity of personnel to respond decisively to security challenges,” he said.

The police commissioner urged the officers to put the knowledge and skills acquired during the programme into practice in the discharge of their duties.

He also charged them to contribute meaningfully to efforts aimed at enhancing public safety and combating crime in the state.

“I charge the officers to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of the training towards enhancing public safety and combating crime across the state,” Ojo added.

The Command reiterated its commitment to sustaining capacity-building initiatives designed to improve professionalism, operational efficiency, and service delivery in line with global best policing standards.