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By Molly Kilete
At the time the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Sunday Babaji graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, his desire was to make a career in teaching.
In line with that desire, Bauchi State College of Arts and Science employed him, but until the desire to join the Nigerian Police Force became stronger than remaining a teacher.
He applied to join the police, was interviewed, scaled through and sent for training. He was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on March 3, 1990, as an Assistant Superintendent of Police.
As it is said, the rest is history. In this interview, Babaji opened the window to his life as a police officer, explaining why he abadoned the teaching profession for a career in law enforcement.
What stirred your interest to join the police force?
I joined the Nigeria Police purely out of the desire to serve my country. That is my interest. Well, you look at the Nigeria Police you find that it has a major responsibility to protect the lives and property of the citizenry. That is a very, very important responsibility because everything in the whole world is about life and property. In any country, the police force as an organisation is saddled with that huge responsibility of protecting lives and property. That was why I became interested, to contribute my quota if given the opportunity.
When did you develop the interest?
Interestingly, I developed the interest after I graduated from the university and was teaching at the Bauchi State College of Arts and Science, in 1989. I started the process and later got enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force on March 3, 1990.
What has it been like being a police officer?
I can tell you that life as a police officer has been very interesting. I have gone to many places. Being a police officer has exposed me within and outside the country. It is a very interesting job and very challenging one too.
Now that you are the Police Commissioner heading the FCT Police Command, what has it been like for you?
I have been able to cope as the FCT Police Commissioner and at the same time carry out my other roles as a father and husband, by the grace of God. I can tell you that to police the FCT, which is the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria is not and has not been easy. But God has blessed me with the leadership of the Inspector General of Police, who gives me needed support, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. We work in synergy with other security agencies and my subordinates in the FCT Police Command have been working diligently and with dedication, honesty and integrity to protect lives and property in the FCT. That is why you find that FCT has been relatively calm.
Looking back to when you assumed office as FCT Police Commissioner, what were the major security challenges that you met on ground?
When I took over as FCT Police commissioner, I was faced with cases of kidnapping in the suburbs like Kuje, Kwali and Gwagwalada axis. We have been contending with this problem of kidnapping. The incidence of kidnapping is not unrelated with the fact that the FCT shares boundaries with the forest areas of Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa states. So these criminals come into the FCT and carry out their deadly activities and go. But as I speak, we have deployed our men to the borders to serve as a buffer and they have brought the situation under control because it has calmed down.
Beyond kidnapping, what other challenges did you encounter?
Well, some of the other challenges that we have in the FCT is the problem of burglary and theft, that is house breaking which occurs occasionally. Then we have these cases of scavengers, who we have been raiding at their various locations at uncompleted buildings to ensure the menace is reduced. Then again, we have the challenge of managing protests in the FCT. We have observed that if a chairman in a local government area in a state embezzles money, you will see people come to Abuja to carry out their protest. You find that everybody is coming to Abuja to carry out their protest. So, it has not been easy because each time they are protesting, we have to deploy our men because other citizens who have rights have to be protected from being attacked by the protesters.
Do you still find time to sleep?
Sleep? Well, it depends. Sometimes, I am able to sleep, but the work just has to be done. That is why as a Commissioner of Police, you can be called upon at any time of the day, whether it is 1:00 a.m or 2:00a.m to respond to a distress call and emergencies. By the grace of God we have been coping.
So then, how do you relax?
I take out time on Saturdays and Sundays to go to the gym and also take a walk. I love football. It is exciting really.
And what is your best food?
My best food is beans and fried plantain, I love it very much.
Recall your most memorable day as a police officer.
My most memorable day as a police officer that I cannot forget was when I was serving in Lagos. A German man was duped and asked to come to Nigeria by the person that duped him. We were informed and we asked him to play along so we could get the suspect arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos. We were the team selected by the Inspector General of Police for that operation and we were given the description of the man. When he arrived at the airport, we saw him come out of the arrival hall, but believe you me, I don’t know what happened and suddenly the man disappeared. Honestly, I was part of the team and we just started crying saying ‘what are we going to tell the IGP, what are we going to tell the President?’ They made a white man to come into the country so that we could arrest those that duped him, only for him to disappear. Somebody picked him from the airport and we didn’t know who and suddenly they disappeared. All of us started crying. I will never forget that incident. But as God would have it, one of the team members told us that he got the number plate of the vehicle that picked up the white man. And when we followed the taxi he was taken to L’Meridien Hotel and we got the man and we arrested the suspect. So it was a real celebrated case, but we didn’t disclose to the IGP that the man disappeared (Laugh). But the most important thing was that the suspect was arrested. I will never forget that day in my life.
What would you have been doing if you didn’t get into the police force?
I would have remained as a teacher.
