Editor/
A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) has been honoured by the Lagos State Government for spending her money to save a victim of armed robbery.
Superintendent of Police Celestina Kalu, who is the DPO of Ogudu Police Station in Lagos was today honoured at the State House, Alausa, by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Sanwo-Olu described SP Kalu as “a humane police officer”.
He said that her decision to save the life of an orphan, Friday Ajabor, who was shot by a two-man gang of armed robbers at Ojota area of Lagos was a “matchless trait of compassion”.
He said: “I am personally amazed by this rare act of kindness displayed by Mrs Celestina Kalu, who went beyond the official call of duty to save the life of a citizen using her personal resources. This is one of the essences of governance and public service when you have public officers going beyond the call of duty to render a helping hand to a fellow citizen.”
Ajabor, a 25-year-old orphan from Edo State, was at Ojota with his friend at about 8 pm on September 19 when the robbers waylaid them and tried to snatch their valuables. They struggled with the bandits until the assailants overpowered them.
Ajabor’s friend managed to escape from the scene with their personal effects, leaving him at the mercy of the robbers armed with a local pistol. For struggling with them, the robbers shot Ajabor in the bowel at a close range and disappeared from the scene.
A team of policemen from Ogudu Division, led by Mrs Kalu, arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later. They met the victim in a pool of his blood and quickly rushed him to two hospitals where he was rejected for lack of bed space.
About 90 minutes after, the victim was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, where he underwent a series of surgery, the cost of which was personally defrayed by Mrs Kalu.
This extra effort by the police officer saved the life of the orphan whose relatives could not be reached at the time he was admitted into the ICU.
The DPO’s act of kindness caught Gov Sanwo-Olu’s attention after it went viral in the social media, prompting the Governor to reach out to the policewoman and the victim.
While honouring the DPO, Sanwo-Olu said Mrs Kalu went beyond the limit of her official duty to save the life of the robbery victim, stressing that the policewoman’s effort was “the essence of public service” and “a true spirit of Lagos”.
The Governor said the policewoman demonstrated a rare example that should be emulated by every Lagosian, urging security operatives not to fall short of such act of kindness in the discharge of their duties to the citizens.
“This is a rare trait of compassion by the DPO. We usually don’t get to witness such act of kindness, because every one of us is too overwhelmed by a myriad of personal challenges. When we see law enforcement officers giving us reasons to be kind, we need to appreciate and recognise such action. This is why we are honouring Mrs Kalu this morning as our role model. This will encourage others to emulate this act of kindness.
“Not only that she stopped to help the victim at the point of death, she also went ahead to make financial commitment that ensured immediate treatment of the victim at the hospital. We are happy that this effort paid off, because the victim is alive and he is recuperating well.”
Sanwo-Olu presented a special plaque bearing the official seal of the Lagos State Government to honour the DPO, while also taking over the cost of Ajabor’s surgery.
The Governor urged security agencies to scale up their surveillance across the State, urging inter-agency collaboration to rid Lagos of robbers and criminals.
Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the honour done to the DPO was the prize of her compassion, pointing out that such act of kindness was in tune with the spirit agenda of ‘Greater Lagos’ campaign of the present administration.
Omotoso urged Lagos residents to emulate the act. He said that the state would improve in its social index when people showed their fellow citizens unsolicited kindness.
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