Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has urged newly graduated police cadets of the Nigeria Police Academy (POLAC), Wudil, Kano State, to uphold the civil rights and dignity of Nigerians as they begin their careers in law enforcement.

Gaidam gave the charge during the maiden convocation ceremony of 1,199 cadets of Regular Course 7 at the academy’s campus.

The graduates, who will be commissioned as Assistant Superintendents of Police, were reminded to brace for the critical responsibilities ahead in safeguarding national security.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Anuma Ogbonnaya, the minister noted that the peace and stability of the country partly rest on the new officers.

He stressed that expectations are high that their deployment will strengthen internal security across the federation.

Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to developing the academy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s security reform agenda, Gaidam said modern policing demands strict adherence to human rights, effective crisis management, intelligence sharing, and professionalism.

He added that the ministry will continue to support POLAC in advancing ICT-driven policing and enhancing training standards nationwide.

“In a diverse country like ours, internal security is sustained not only by force but by trust. Your strength will be measured by restraint, accountability, and your ability to protect Nigerians without fear or favour,” the minister said.

The Commandant of POLAC, AIG Patrick Adedeji Atayero, described the convocation as a historic milestone since the academy attained the status of a degree-awarding institution and was recognized by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as Nigeria’s 37th federal university.

He announced that the academy recently secured full NUC accreditation for all its academic programmes.

As part of the 2025/2026 academic session, POLAC is set to introduce new degree courses, including Criminology and Security Studies, alongside expanded education and science programmes.

Preparations are also underway for the takeoff of the academy’s first postgraduate school and four new academic and research centres focused on innovation, counseling, policing, and entrepreneurship.

Atayero noted that the graduation comes at a crucial time as the Federal Government recruits 50,000 additional police officers to boost manpower.

He expressed confidence that the new officers will bring renewed energy, professionalism, and leadership to the Nigeria Police Force.

Since its inception, POLAC has trained 3,698 cadets, including 543 females, with Regular Course 7 being the largest graduating class since 2018.