Death of an officer (1)

“When beggars die there are no comets seen but heavens themselves blaze the death of princes.” This is a quote from the novel Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.

Last week, the news filtered out from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), located at Area 7, Abuja, that  the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the department, Mr. Joseph Egbunike, who was reported to have walked up the staircase to his office, worked till around 11pm but slumped while in the office. According to reports, he was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His death was a big blow to his family, institution and colleagues, especially the Nigeria Police, under which he served the country for over 34 years. Here was an intellectual brain who, like many other police officers, not satisfied with their first degree qualification of entry into the police, worked extra hard to improve their academic qualifications. Egbunike obtained a master’s degree and even went further to obtain a PhD and was about crowning his academic efforts to attain the professorial height.

No wonder he was outstanding in virtually every important police activity. The latest was his heading the Inspector General of Police’s investigation panel on the DCP Abba Kyari indictment saga. He was the DIG heading of the South East zone, a very dedicated officer who hardly shied away from official assignments.

As the former head of the budget and finance office of the Nigeria Police, Egbunike was said to be responsible for the budgeting template in use by the Nigeria Police today.

In his condolence statement read at the residence of the late officer, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, described DIG Egbunike as “a man of much knowledge, resourcefulness and commitment to diligence in his lifetime.”

The death of an officer, whether with the police, army, navy, air force, EFCC, Immigration service, DSS, Customs, NDLEA, Civil Defence or other quasi-military groups, brings pain and a sense of loss to loved ones and colleagues.

When an officer dies in the line of duty, a crack is noticeable on the wall of the security agency he represents. When an officer dies in active service, the pain and loss the family and colleagues and friends feel is irreparable. Consider the loss of a soldier at the war zone.  Such a loss while in the service of his fatherland is painful. If it is painful, what measures have been put in place to ameliorate the pain and even prevent death?

After all, there are deaths that can be prevented. Questions are being asked if senior security officers are compulsorily made to regularly check their health status. 

Should such medical examination not be part of their  benefits, considering their services to the country? Should officers be allowed to work till late into the night? After all, is the assignment going to take flight? Medical experts are of the opinion that there should be legislation on the number of visitors a top officer should entertain on a working day. Official and non-official visitors most often wear down top officers in very important and strategic positions.  Visitors of all grades, when allowed to see an officer in the office, often create embarrassment and nuisance to the officer and office he is occupying.

Some have no respect for time, as irrelevant topics are discussed. A time was when the number of visitors to the IGP’s office at the Force Headquarters became a  challenge.  The then IGP, Mr. Tafa Balogun, devised a unique strategy by leaving his office and taking a stroll to the massive visitors’ room, to personally listen and address every of their complaint with his personal staff officer by his side.

By this, the IGP, unknown to many, was also using the strategy to stretch his muscles. In fact, security officers should be encouraged to frequently attend organized medical seminars to help them stay fit and healthy for the onerous service to the country.

Shortly after his appointment, September 16, 2021, the chairman of  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, reportedly slumped during an event and was rushed out of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He had returned from the burial of one of his officers in lbadan, Oyo State, and was scheduled to address an audience when, in the middle of his speech, he suddenly stopped and later slumped, and was taken for medical attention. 

Many years back , in 2002, during the tenure of IGP Tafa Balogun, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 12, Bauchi, Alhaji Muhammed Shehu, slumped in his hotel room two days after taking over.

He had been lodging in a hotel in the state capital, while his official accommodation was being arranged.

He was pronounced dead a week later. Again, in 2010, an AIG in charge of Force Training, Mr. Joseph ldu, reportedly slumped in his office at the Force Headquarters, and was pronounced dead later. 

On August 4, 2021, the deputy police public relations officer, Rivers State Police Command, Mr. Christian Udogu, was reported to have slumped while watching television with members of his family at home, then he died. He had complained of chest pain before he slumped.

Sad examples of officers slumping either at parade grounds where their physical fitness is exhibited or in the office while on duty bring to the fore grave issues with underlining questions. On March 2, 2012, in Ogun State, during a pull-out parade in honour of CP Nicholas Nkedeme, when five officers, including the parade commander, all slumped like a dominoes one after the other as dignitaries, including the Deputy Governor of the state, Segun Adesegun, all watched in utter panic and amazement.

A medical expert has describes the issue of police officers slumping while on duty  as “part of their occupational hazard, aside from the fact that their medical history and every other thing can contribute to it.”

Second is that, in Nigeria, many people lie about their age, a man who is already above 50 could claim to be 45 and he feels he can stand the stress of a 45-year-old person on the job.

Again, because of their financial situation, a lot of people do not take care of their health.

(To be continued)