Female officers to provide security for IGP Dec 4 as Nigeria celebrates 70 years of women policing

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, has directed members of the Police Management Team to vacate their offices for 24 hours on Thursday, December 4, to allow female police officers act their roles to celebrate the 70th anniversary of women in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Force Gender Adviser to the IGP, AIG Aishatu Abubakar Baju, who made this known, said the IGP’s directive extends to State Police Commands across the country where command commissioners are expected to vacate their offices to female officers for the symbolic one-day leadership takeover.

Baju, at a media briefing on activities lined up to commemorate the celebrations, said Thursday, December 4, 2025, has been approved by the IGP as All Women Police Duty Day, during which female officers will not only occupy all offices at the Force Headquarters but will also be responsible for the IGP’s security, dispatch riders, and escorts for all official engagements.

The Force Gender Adviser while noting that 12 per cent of personnel of the NPF are women, said that currently, the Nigeria Police Force has about six female Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police handling some states, a situation that is quite different from what it was when the first sets of female police officers joined the Force in 1955.

She recalled that 20 women joined the Force 70 years ago and one of them, 95-year-old DCP Stella Okwihiga (rtd), is alive today and will be celebrated on Thursday, December 4, during the anniversary celebration.

She said unlike in the past when women were restricted to domestic and clerical duties such as serving tea, operating telephones, and cleaning offices, the situation is no longer the same.

She said, “Women in policing have evolved toward international best practices,” noting that women now hold strategic and operational commands across the country, including leadership of major police training institutions in Lagos, Oji River, Kaduna, and the Detective College.

Baju, who commended the IGP for championing gender inclusion, however noted that the number of women in the police is still below the UN-recommended benchmark of 35 per cent.

She listed activities lined up for the anniversary themed “70 Years of Courage and Service: Honouring Women in Policing, Inspiring the Future”, to include a grand opening ceremony featuring Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as Special Guest of Honour, and the Chief of Police of the Bahamas, Ms Shanta Emily Knowles, as the keynote speaker.

She further stated that the celebrations aim to strengthen public trust, inspire young women to consider policing as a noble career, and deepen collaborations with civil society groups on gender equity.

She praised the IGP’s gender-mainstreaming reforms, noting that the NPF has become increasingly gender-responsive under his watch.

“This commitment is not just aspirational — it is strategic,” she said, adding that the reforms align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and global frameworks such as the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.