Destiny has a way of playing out in some peoples life and often times it helps to sweep and prepares the pathway for such person to rise to stardom in his or her journey in life. The recent high powered security chess game that played out between the Lagos State police command and the Force hedquarter should not be encouraged and condoned in the Nigeria police force again no matter whose ox is goared.
Sometime in the year when President Muhammadu Buhari was away in London for his medical checks, the inspector General of Police reassigned the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police Umar Garuba to take over the helm of affair in Lagos State command. No sooner the news leaked out, hell was let loosed. Tongues wagged and there were insinuations that he was a northerner as if Lagos command is the exclusive preserve of only southern officers. l vividly remembered when Sir Mike Okiro as the inspector General of Police reassigned the then Commissioner Donald lroham from Imo State to take over Lagos police command, the powers that be in Lagos bluntly withstood the transfer and presidency helped to annulled the posting. This time around, the presidency annulled the posting and the sleeping dog was allowed to rest while Commissioner Fatai Owoseni was left off the hook of redeployment and Cp Garuba was eventually reposted to Anambra state. When politicians start meddling in the recruitment, appointment, promotions and postings of security personnels like the police and the Army, then the tradition is killed, discipline is eroded and professionalism wanes. Interestingly, no sooner President Buhari returned from his health trip and announced that he has officially resumed work, the Police opened up the transfer case of Fatai Owoseni and from the blues, a signal transferring him to Force Criminal Investigation Department ( FCID) Abuja was released and the same presidency could no longer annul the lGP decision because the man with the body language was back on seat. Postings and transfers of policemen and officers are routine excercises and should not be allowed to raise political, ethnic or religious dust. Any officer behind such act should be sanctioned appropriately because the police institution is bigger than any one officer and it is a national institution. No one joined the police to serve in his or her choice area. Such can only be granted where there is a states police system. Also with the same token, never again should it be repeated where, because the president wants to fill up the vacant position of the inspector General of police then over 20 senior police brains are sacrificed on the sacrificial alter of retirement. Such should not be encouraged like a former lnspector General of Police lbrahim Attah appealed in a letter to the president. However, the story of the newly posted Commissioner of police in Lagos State Command Mr. lmohimi Oluwole Edgal is that of an officer whom destiny has helped to clear the way and prepared him to be in charge of Lagos State Police command. Since his first posting to Lagos, he has served as the Divisional Police Office ( DPO) in Surulere, lkeja, Badagry (Seme boarder )where his operational qualities were noticed by past commissioners of police in the state and he was promoted and posted accordingly as an Area commander at Lion building, Lagos. A professional and intelligent fine police officer with knack for investigative details. According to Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, who was his former boss , he described CP Edgal as “ an officer who is a team player and an astute administrator”. A deeper study of him shows that he has the operational skills and genes of Past Deputy Commissioners of Police in charge of operations in Lagos State Command like Mike Okiro, Marvel Akpoyibo and the late Tunde Sobulo. Apart from Sobulo others mentioned became the commissioners of police for Lagos State except MD Abubakar who instead of operations was the DCP administration in Lagos State Police Command. Those who worked with Edgal described him as one of the living example of a workaholic officer. It is in his promotion and posting that the lnspector General of Police lbrahim ldris can be said to have done a good home work in his appointment. Edgal romance with destiny cannot be separated from his hardwork as a police officer. In fact, having risen as an Assistant Comisioner of police ( ACP) in-charge of operation in Lagos State and to become the Deputy Comissioner of Police (DCP) in the same department is a clear indication of an officer that destiny is becoming upon. lt can easily be aduced that he is a round peg in a round hole. Absolutely fit for the office he is presently occupying. Stretching the story further, It can also be said that the successes of the outgoing Comissioner, Mr. Fatai Owoseni swear the operational support of CP Edgal who was his engine room. Edgal knows Lagos like his Owan Local Government in Edo State where he lived and worked in the state for several years as a police officer. There is a big difference between a police officer and a civilian living in a community. Edgal knows and understands the topography, culture of the state like the drawings on his palm, no wonder, he spareheaded all the operational activities that culminated in the arrest of many robbers, kidnappers and cult members. A fellow police officer described his promotion and posting as “ fantastic”. Those that this writer spoke with said he is a strong advocate of what he describe as “ Policing the police officer”. A man with zero tolerance for indiscipline is one that can command the over 20 thousand police men and women in Lagos to new and greater height. Lagosians are expecting much from him. They want him to change many aspects of policing they have noticed in recent years in many police stations and Area commands. They want to see a new police that is truely a friend of the people. They want to see policemen that will not take bribe before or after handling their complaints at the stations. They want to see a more disciplined police that would live up to their constitutional role in the society. These are the issues Lagosians want to be looked into. On the part of the police men and women, they want to see a father figure Commissioner who will cater for their welfare and list them for promotion when they are qualified. They yearn that discipline be restored in the force so that Lagos Command can be show cased as the best in the country.
For the fact that the people are part of the sustaining venture of the police, Edgal has to panel beat some of the dented images of the police in Lagos. Dents of corruption that is prevalent in many Divisional Police Stations, dents of bribery, dents of money before bail, dents of miscarriage of justice and dents of justice for the highest bidder. Edgal should have his eyes in every nook and cranny of Lagos and reshape the police. The inspector General of police should help to stop the dent of payment before transfer. While we would support all the laudable administrative steps he would take in Lagos, it should be advised that all eyes are on his administration as the new Comissioner of Police whose works would speak more for him rather than media hype. At the end of the professional journey in Lagos, it would be adjudged if history would list him as one of the Commissioners that came , saw and made their mark in Lagos like, Gambo Jimeta, Mike Okiro, Abubakar Tsav, MD Abubakar, Adewale Ajakaiye , Marvel Akpoyibo, Umar Manko and Fatai Owoseni.
Security Prayer
May the EMBER months not swallow any of my readers, at home, on the road, and at work. Safety shall be your cover. Amen!