CP Owoseni Drops Police Uniform to Embrace Farming as 55 Officers Retire

Patience Ogbo/

Emotions, tears of joy and sense of accomplishment were freely on display today as 55 officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) including 12 top brass were pulled out after years of service to their fatherland.

Among the 12 senior officers is former Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Fatai Owoseni who declared that he would be devoting his retirement time to farming.

The pullout parade which took place at the Police College Ikeja had in attendance senior serving police officers, traditional rulers, family, friends and well-wishers as Owoseni with nine other CPs and two Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG) were pulled out of the service.

Others included members of the Cadet ASP/Inspector Course 12/84 and 28/84 who retired from the service after 35 years in the Force.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID), Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, who represented the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, commended the retiring officers for their service to the nation.

She said, “Congratulations to all the retiring senior officers and their families. we say a big thank you for the support.

“As you bow out today, the I-G, the entire police and the nation say a big thank you. You have served well and God will reward you abundantly.”

A retired AIG, Mr Tunji Alapini, who represented the Police Service Commission (PSC) Chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, urged the retiring officers to be wary of the environment they were retiring to.

“You are retiring into a new world, the world of the police is different from the world of retirement.

“A lot of people are waiting for you thinking you have money to invest. You have to be wary and careful.

“Please, be faithful to your family.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi of Elegushi Ikate, commended the retiring officers for their service to the nation.

“I know how passionate you are about the country. How you work to keep the country safe.

“We Nigerians often forget where we come from. Nigeria’s problem has been there for a while and it will take more than four years to solve.

“It is just for our government to do the right thing,” he said.

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Akanbi, also spoke at the event. He commended the retiring officers for their service to the nation.

“I understand what the police stand for as they have made Nigeria more secure, they are the greatest law enforcement agents,” the monarch said.

Fielding questions from reporters after the pullout, Owoseni who was police commissioner in Lagos from July 1, 2015, to September 1, 2017, said, “I owe so much gratitude to the Almighty Allah to have taken us through this journey from January 1, 1984, till date. We are going home hail and hearty. God also raised us to the level we attained in service to see that we contributed our quota to the growth of this nation.

“Every day is a trying moment for us in the police. It is like fighting a daily asymmetric war. You wake up in the morning and you do not know who is watching you from the corner. Many people live their homes for work and did not come back.

“So, I will say every day came with its own trials and challenges but I thank the Almighty Allah who saw us through.

“I advise those in service to be more dedicated and loyal to the people of Nigeria. They should recognise the fact that without the people, there would be no police. It is a service to humanity and so we should understand that people are our masters and not the other way round.

“Once they are able to subordinate themselves to the society and realise it is the people who pay their salaries the masses will come out to help them.

“With my experience, I will say Nigerians are fantastic. They are not difficult. We only need to earn their confidence and everything will work out well.”

Asked about his retirement plans, Owoseni said: “I am a farmer and will be going back to my farm.”

Among the retiring officers are AIG Abdul Bube, AIG Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, CP Agyole Abeh, CP Joseph Agaji and CP Gbemisola Akinpelu.

Others are CP Bello Ahmed, CP Abdullahi Ibrahim, CP Bello Yahaya, CP Adekinte Ademoju, CP Wakili Maye, CP Fave Semili and CP Ahmed Magaji.

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