The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode, has approved the upgrade of the Legal Section of the Nigeria Police Force to the Directorate of Legal Services.

Egbetokun said the move was aimed at creating a clear institutional identity for the Force’s legal operations, strengthening cohesion, and securing recognition across both domestic and international jurisdictions.

In a statement on Tuesday, Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the new directorate would be the apex legal arm of the force, responsible for the coordination and delivery of legal services..

According to the statement, Adejobi said the responsibilities will include legal training, comprehensive policy review, and structured engagement with prosecutorial bodies, the judiciary, and other relevant stakeholders in the justice sector.

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He said, “In line with the ongoing strategic reforms aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and enhancing operational efficiency across all departments of the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police has approved the elevation of the Legal Section of the Force to the Directorate of Legal Services.

“The Directorate will serve as the apex legal arm of the Nigeria Police Force, responsible for the coordination and delivery of legal services, including legal training, comprehensive policy review, and structured engagement with prosecutorial bodies, the judiciary, and other relevant stakeholders in the justice sector.

“The move is designed to create a clear institutional identity for the Force’s legal operations, strengthen cohesion, and secure recognition across both domestic and international jurisdictions.”

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The IG also announced the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General Ohiozoba O. Ehiede as the pioneer Director of the Directorate of Legal Services.

“AIG Ehiede brings with him a wealth of experience, proven leadership, and a distinguished record of service, which are expected to drive the Directorate’s mandate with excellence,” Adejobi quoted the IGP as saying.

“This upgrade reflects the Nigeria Police Force’s renewed commitment to aligning its operations with global law enforcement standards and ensuring that legal processes within the Force meet the highest levels of professionalism, transparency, and efficiency. By consolidating its legal structures under a directorate framework, the Force aims to improve its prosecutorial prowess to meet the international best policing standards, ” the statement added.

A Non-Governmental Organisation, ‘Eco-Citizen Ogoni ‘Initiative, has launched an Eco Volunteer Portal to register 560,000 youth volunteers for the takeoff of the planting of 560million Mangrove trees in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

Launching the portal in Port Harcourt on Tuesday as part of activities to mark the International Youth Day, 2025, the Coordinator of ECOI in Ogoni, Nature Dumale, said the youths would be recruited as part of the Global Green Marshalls and would be expected to conclude the project in 2035.

Dumale stated, “The groundbreaking digital platform, the Eco-Volunteers Portal, is designed to mobilise and equip 560,000 Ogoni youth as Global Green Goal Marshalls.

“Aligned with this year’s global theme, ‘Local Youth Action for the SDGs and Beyond,’ the platform is a powerful symbol of youth-led transformation at the grassroots, showcasing how Ogoni youth are not only responding to the climate crisis, but reimagining development through community-based action, digital innovation, and regenerative impact”.

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He explained that the portal represented a hub for green innovation, civic engagement, and youth-led systems transformation in Ogoniland and beyond, adding that it would activate a bold new architecture for SDG localisation, turning ecological restoration into real economic opportunity.

Dumale further said the 560,000 trained Eco-Volunteers would be deployed in 56 wards in the four local government areas of Ogoni, and that the initiative would catalyse over 500,000 green-blue economy jobs in sectors like clean energy, regenerative agriculture, aquaculture, sustainable transport, eco-enterprise, and circular economy innovation.

He noted that the portal would deliver climate-smart, community-led development aligned with SDGs 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15.

According to him, “Through real-time dashboards, peer-led learning labs, fellowship placements, mission tracking, and a youth-centred opportunity marketplace, the platform positions Ogoni’s young people as designers and defenders of a just, regenerative future.

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“This portal is our response to history and our bridge to the future. It affirms the role of Ogoni youth not just as volunteers, but as visionaries. They are not waiting for opportunity to arrive, they are building it, one mangrove, one enterprise, one mission at a time.”

He said the portal also signalled a new model for planetary cooperation, rooted in the Global South, adding that with linkages to Africa-wide green youth movements and diaspora innovation networks, it would create a digital commons where local stories could scale global impact.

Dumale continued, “The Eco-Volunteers Portal comes at a critical time in Nigeria’s environmental journey, aligning with national climate adaptation goals and the broader vision for a just energy transition.

“It builds on the momentum of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, while charting a youth-driven pathway to sustainable peace, jobs, and justice”.

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In her remarks, Senator Ireti Heebah Kingibe, Deputy Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, said: “We must move from remediation to regeneration — and that starts with empowering young people at the frontline.”

“This initiative represents a critical shift from extractive development to ecological stewardship. It is not just Ogoni’s future at stake — it is Nigeria’s promise to its youth and its ecosystems.”

Also speaking, Global Director of the ECO2RUPPERS Africa Initiative, Victor Wilkinson Agih, said, “This is more than a portal. It is a platform for intergenerational equity and distributed leadership.

“From the restoration of degraded ecosystems to the reinvention of livelihoods, this model shows what is possible when youth are not just included, but trusted, trained, and resourced to lead.”

The key features of the platform were listed as digital onboarding of 560,000 Eco-Volunteers; green-blue skills training and micro-credentialing; a project mission dashboard to coordinate SDG action in real time; youth-led enterprise support via funding links and circular marketplaces; and inter-ward and diaspora collaboration tools, including challenge campaigns and fellowships.

The Police Command in Oyo State has promoted 159 Inspectors to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police in honour of their dedication to duty and exemplary performance.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adewale Osifeso, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Ibadan.

Osifeso stated that the promotion underscored Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun’s commitment to recognising exceptional performance and dedication among officers.

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According to him, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, praised the officers’ remarkable courage, professional excellence, and dedication to duty during the decoration ceremony.

The CP highlighted the significance of an organised reward system within the police force, which aims to motivate officers to consistently pursue excellence in their service to the community.

“The promotion you have received today signifies not only the recognition of your hard work and commitment but also serves as a reminder to uphold these values in your ongoing career as law enforcement officers,” the CP said.

He urged them to continue to maintain the highest levels of professionalism and integrity as they take on their new roles.

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Osifeso said that the decorated officers thanked the Commissioner of Police for the recognition and reaffirmed their dedication to duty and upholding the force’s principles.

According to him, the command remains resolute in its commitment to promoting professionalism, rewarding exemplary performance, and celebrating the accomplishments of its personnel.

He said that doing so would enhance public trust and safety within the community.

Some of the officers promoted include ASP Eriarehmhien Ayishat, ASP Coker Bunmi, and ASP Tina Osuoza.

NAN