From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Ben Igwe, is one police officer that is feared and dreaded by criminals and protesters alike in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The no-nonsense, but highly compassionate cop is the DCP Operations of the FCT Police Command, which is also the engine room of the force.
Igwe works round the clock to ensure the safety of the nation’s capital from criminals to carry out their attacks at will.
Popularly known as “Agunejemba 1, among his colleagues and friends, Igwe, who said that he would have become a Reverend Father if he had not joined the police, had fought several wars, including the counter insurgency, anti-banditry, anti-kidnapping, militancy in different parts of the country. He disclosed that he does not fear death anymore.
As a matter of fact, he tells his wife on a daily basis to pray for him whenever he comes home and going for another duty, advising her to be courageous and take care of the children if he does not return home alive.
A very courageous and no-nonsense officer, Igwe, has been a thorn on the flesh of criminals who are trying to relocate to the FCT, having been bombarded daily by the military and security agencies from their enclaves.
His name alone sends shivers to the spines of this group of criminals and protesters who usually think twice before going for their illegitimate duties in Abuja.
In this interview, Igwe spoke about himself, why he joined the police and what makes him tick in crime fighting.
May we know you?
My name is Deputy Commissioner of Police Ben Igwe, DC operations
Why did you join the police
I joined the police to contribute my quota to the security architecture of Nigeria.
How has it been?
So far, so good, and the bad boys are complaining bitterly because I am hard on crime. I have only four working agenda to crime. And that is, it’s either you shoot me or I shoot you and you go. The second one is that you have to be in prison if you are a criminal. If you are not in prison, you have to be in my cell. If you are not in my cell, you should be on the run. So, I am hard, I don’t have any regret for that.
What’s life like as a police officer?
Life as a police officer has not been easy because there are so much risks involved. I mean so much risks involved. We have fought in several areas: fighting bandits, fighting Boko Haram terrorists, fighting militants in the Niger Delta region. I have fought several wars. I fought armed robbers to a standstill. I fought kidnappers and I am still fighting them. As you are talking to me now, I am just coming from one of the bushes, so the fight is still on. The place of a police officer is a life of sacrifice, absolute sacrifice, because for you to contribute your quota to the security architecture of this country and for you to fight crime the way it is supposed to be, it is nothing, but sacrifice. My life as a police officer has been very, very challenging because everyday you see new tasks, the armed robbers will bring new system of robberies and you must be ahead of them for you to catch them. So, it is challenging and when you see their modus operandi in these aspects of crime, you should expect what they want to do in their next operation. So, the criminals are moving the way things are revolving, Technology is moving and that is how crime is moving, so you follow the trend, and when you follow the trend you will be happy, but it is challenging and it is a pleasure. And if you don’t want it to give you unnecessary pressure, you do it continually and before you know it, it becomes a hobby and you start enjoying it and that is what I am doing.
What would have become if you had not joined the police?
I would have become a reverend father if I had not joined the police.
What is your best food?
I don’t have any best food I eat anything I see because I am always in the bush.
What are your turn offs?
I hate people who lie and I hate crime
What about your turn on?
Things that make me happy are when an armed robber is down and you know he is an armed robber, you go and take good beer and be happy.
What is your greatest fear when you go out?
I do not have any fear whatsoever when I go out on my duty as a police officer. The armed robbers are supposed to fear me and not the other way round. I don’t have fear. The only thing I fear is God. I don’t even fear death because I supposed to have died long ago because I have been fighting crime.
What is the most challenging crime in FCT?
The most challenging crime in the FCT is these bandits that are on the mountains and that is where I am coming from now. These bandits that on the mountains come in from Niger State, from Nasarawa State and from Kaduna State. They will pursue them from these states and from there they want to enter FCT. So, they will always be in our suburbs and because they are in our suburbs, sometimes they will come in through Yangoji, Yebu, Jeda, Kabun Mangoro, areas in Bwari, Gawu, like Ibua, towards Niger State and all these areas, that’s the only fear. Those are my challenges and that’s where I am having challenges, otherwise we have done a lot to secure the FCT. Because of the security architecture that we have put in place within the city, no person can penetrate without we knowing. I learnt there is tension as a result of the Sallah celebration that some groups are trying to come and disrupt the peace of the FCT. That is what they have been telling us and we have been waiting for them to come. Even the Shiite if they are too strong let them come we are waiting.
Is any of your children thinking of joining the police?
I don’t know for now, but anyone that develops the interest, I will help.
What is your happiest day as a police officer?
The happiest day I have as a police officer was the day we had a shootout with bandits. I lost two of my boys, but over 18 of the bandits and it was my happiest day even though I lost two of my men. The bandits were the most dreaded people on the Abuja/Kaduna expressway at the time and we got over 18 of them down with their arms and ammunition.
What about your saddest day?
The day I lost my closet boy was the saddest day of my life as a police officer. That was when we were fighting the Boko Haram war in the Northeast. I lost him in Pompomari, I lost the second one at Gashua. Those were my saddest moments.
How do you relax?
I don’t know how to relax because everyday this phone is ringing, the Wakie Talkie is calling you, so if you are lucky to have uninterrupted two minutes, you can put your head somewhere to rest. But the truth is there is never a time for relaxation because everybody is calling you and in FCT, everybody knows everybody so you should be expecting calls from everybody. So, you cannot sleep that is the problem we have. And that is why most police officers don’t like to work in the FCT.
How do you cope with work and family?
It’s not been easy for me to be there for my family when they need me, but all I can tell you is that I know where they are. Sometimes they call me and sometimes I call them. I don’t know how to mix it, I don’t know how to manage it, but God knows better than me. But anytime they see me, they take it like that. I most times relate with my children over the phone and they understand that because of the nature of my work, I am never in a steady place and they cannot be seeing me so they equally manage to manage themselves. And I used to tell my wife that I have been a fighter since I joined the police. I have fought in different places. Anytime I am going out you should pray. If I come back good, if I don’t come back you know where everything is, take care of your children.