So far, the Nigerian police has been led by 21 indigenous Inspector- Generals of Police. Out of this number, a recent survey by Security File identified some of them as outstanding. Apart from being outstanding, they were also remarkable in their leadership and conduct while in office.One can rightly say that these former IGPs came, saw conquered, to borrow the popular Nigerian cliche, and are recorded by history as exceptional administrators.
Some elegant traits and features common to all of them are self discipline, visionary, professionalism and fear of God. Moreover, they exuded milk of human kindness, always ready to assist by providing protection and justice to the ordinary Nigerians. During their time in office, the former IGPs raised the standard of policing in the country and introduced policies that gave the police a good image, and made it to be embraced and loved by Nigerians . Some of outstanding former IGPs contributed to the stability of the country by introducing beautiful ideas and innovations that were instrumental to the upgrading of the policing system . According to a renowned American author, John C Maxwell, “a leader is one who knows the way , goes the way and shows the way”. This quote mirrors the robust and salutary leadership trajectory of the former IGPs being discussed here. For example, during his tenure as IGP, Mr Etim Okon Inyang would take crime journalists along with ( this writer inclusive when he was covering crime for the rested National Concord Newspaper) on a stop and search mission, stopping at every police roadblock and checkpoint and searching police men and any of them found with money was instantly arrested. This approach greatly curbed corruption among policemen on operational duties. Long before he become IGP, Mr Inyang was a forthright and dedicated police officer whose exceptional investigative skill earned him double promotion- to Assistant Commissioner of Police.
As IGP, he raised the police standard to enviable level, and expanded educational requirements for entry into the force beyond the West African Examination Council Certificate.He also brought about a robust relationship between members of the public and the Police, resulting in what is today the Police Public Relations Committee ( PCRC).
Other IGPs equally have other forms of achievements to their credit. IGP Adamu Suleiman for instance, was reported to have had an argument with the then President, Shehu Shagari, over his posting of Gambo Jimeta, An Assistant Police Commissioner, to Yola. While the President wanted Jimeta who was renowned for skillful intelligence gathering and investigation posted to the plain Clothe Investigation department of the Police High Command, IGP Suleiman wanted him posted to Yola so that he could wear uniforms, arguing that he would not be in charge of an organisation that was politicised and influenced by politicians. Sequel to the disagreement with the President, IGP Suleiman had tendered his letter of retirement. This singular act marked him out as a police officer with integrity and honour. His action aligned with Warren Bennis’ argument that “leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”
The above quote also clearly describes the leadership qualities of IGP Ibrahim Aliyu Attah, the 8th indigenous Inspector-General of police who established a solid economic foundation for the Nigerian police by setting up the Nigerian Police Insurance Scheme. He established the NPF Microfinance Bank Plc, a community bank which today is one of the best patronised banking system in West Africa.
IGP Attah widened the financial scope of the police by removing the Force Pension from the Civil Service Strata before the civilian presidency of President Obasanjo returned it to the civil service.
Attah was loved by police officers for helping in the discovery of Chioma Ajunwa, a police Athlete who is today a Deputy Commissioner of police. Ajunwa would in 1996 won the Olympics track and field gold Olympic medal. Since the discovery of Ajunwa by IGP Attah, we haven’t had any other discovery in the police in terms of sports. Sunday Adedayo Adewusi was another IGP who was an achiever. His fine policing and leadership attributes resonated with Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of US’s assertion that “the greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things . He is the one who gets people to do the greatest things”. Recall that IGP Adewusi, at the age of 45, established the the police mobile force. Years later, another IGP, Tafa Balogun introduced the female arm of the mobile police force. Sadly however, today the vibrancy and agility of the mobile police force have substantially diminished as they are no longer visible in the public space and their impact no longer felt, especially now that there is insecurity around the country.
There was also IGP Ibrahim Coomassie who stood against the military’s moves to take over the police headquarters.He made a strong case against the move at the Armed Forces Ruling Council meeting which resulted in the reversal of the take over bid.He was one of the strictest IGPs; he was also urbane, cerebral and detribalised, appointing a southerner, Deputy Commissioner of police Raymond Adey who was popularly referred to as police encyclopaedia, as his personal Assistant.
One of the unforgettable legacies of IGP Coomassie was the introduction of training and retraining programme for police officers. He also expanded police infrastructures like barracks , police posts and stations, schools etc. As a strong corruption fighter, IGP, Ibrahim Coomassie, in a bid to curb corruption among police officers, established the monitoring unit of the police force
Another spectacular IGP was Mike Mbama Okiro whose visionary leadership was technologically driven. He used technology to curb bank robbery by introducing CCTV in the banks and body detector machines thus drastically reducing the menace of bank robberies across the country. Had Okiro’s idea been left to blossom when he sent some mobile police personnel to different countries for anti- terrorism training, insecurity currently ravaging the country would have been nipped in the bud.
Okiro expanded the operational frontiers of the Public Relations department of the police with the establishment of the first police newspaper known as The Dawn which later received a United Nation and European Union award for the best security newspaper. History will remember Sir Mike Okiro for brokering peace between the Niger Delta militants. This would later lead to the disarmament of the militants and restoration of peace in the region. He increased the helicopter fleet of the police for crime surveillance and greatly worked to ensure the welfare of officers by introducing housing scheme in Abuja , Lagos and Enugu.
Two other outstanding IGPs are Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar and Solomon Ehigiator Arase. Both introduced and upgraded intelligence led policing by adding technology in investigation. MD Abubakar is credited with changing the police uniform to the present dressing code. Arase and Abubakar will be remembered for introducing data base policing into the system. Arase saw to the purchase of over 300 patrol vehicles code named “Safer Highways” which aimed at combating armed robbery on the highways. It’s worth noting that both Abubakar and Arase operated like Siemens twins in the sense that projects initiated by one was completed by the other, a development stakeholders hailed as good for the interest and progress of the police force.
I believe that had any of the past IGPs mentioned in this piece been at the helms of affairs of the force today, the issue of state police would have been better presented and pursued, and insecurity would have been completely curbed.May God bless the Nigerian police with such leaders again!