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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
On Saturday, July 18, 2026, the parade ground of Police Secondary School, Isu Nwangele, in Imo State, came alive with crisp white shirts, polished boots and the steady drumbeat of a marching band. Families fanned themselves under canopies. Traditional rulers sat beside senior police officers. And 69 SS3 students stood at attention for one last time as students before stepping forward as graduates.
It was the school’s 10th passing-out parade and prize-giving ceremony, and the mood was equal parts pride and promise.
Presiding over the event was the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, Audu Garba Bosso. He arrived to the sound of a sentry guard salute, inspected the parade, and watched as the graduating class moved across the field in perfect formation. The precision was not accidental. It was the product of nine years inside an institution built deliberately to marry books with character.
Founded in 2015, Police Secondary School, Isu Nwangele, holds a quiet distinction. It is the first police secondary school in the South East geopolitical zone.
In his welcome address, the Commandant, CSP Ayuba Gambo, traced that history. He described the school as more than classrooms and dormitories. “We are a centre of excellence,” he told parents and guests. His charge to the 69 graduates was simple and direct: carry forward integrity, discipline, patriotism, hard work and service to humanity as you enter higher institutions.
Chairman on the occasion, Hon. (Chief) Obinna Paschal Durujaku, spoke on the role of community in raising young people. Chairman of Nwangele Local Government Area, Hon. Chief Paul Chijoke Duru, was present alongside traditional rulers and founding fathers of the school. PTA chairman, Comrade Onuoha Chijoke, and Chief Andrew Ewerem, former Police Public Relations Officer in Imo and one of the school’s founding voices, also offered goodwill messages. Their presence underscored a point the school has made for a decade: education here is a shared project.
CP Bosso used his address to do two things at once. He congratulated the students and held up their teachers. He commended the Commandant, the teaching staff, instructors and support personnel for what he called consistent dedication to academic excellence, discipline and character development. He then turned to the students who had distinguished themselves, calling out awardees in academics, leadership, discipline and extracurricular activities.
“The Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu Rilwanu, remains committed to promoting quality education and youth development through our institutions,” CP Bosso said. His appeal to stakeholders was to keep investing in the school, not just with funds, but with mentorship and attention.
For many parents in the crowd, that commitment was visible. The match-past showed coordination. The cultural dances showed confidence. The farewell speeches by the outgoing senior prefects, and the farewell song performed by the graduating class, showed the emotional weight of leaving a place that had shaped them.
What makes Police Secondary School, Isu Nwangele different is not just the uniform. It is the expectation. Since 2015, the school has positioned itself at the intersection of academic rigour and civic values. Students are taught to lead assemblies, to keep time, to speak in public, and to serve. The result, last Saturday, was a graduating set that could recite formulas and also execute a drill with military precision.
Vice Principal (Administration), Mr. Akparanta Donny, closed the ceremony with a vote of thanks. He acknowledged CP Bosso, the dignitaries, parents, guardians, and all who have supported the school’s growth over the past 10 years.
As the graduates tossed their caps and posed for photographs against the backdrop of the school gate, the message was clear. The 69 young men and women were leaving with certificates but, also, with a template for how to live in public service.
In a region still looking for models of discipline and opportunity, Police Secondary School, Isu Nwangele is offering one. And with its first decade now complete, the question is not whether it can produce graduates. It is how many more it can shape.
