Just In : Nigeria Police Set To Reward Officers For ‘Exemplary Performance’ Amid Poor Welfare, Remuneration, List Nominees
The event is scheduled to be held on April 15, 2024, at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
The Nigeria Police Force is set to reward some of its officers for their “exemplary performance and dedication to duty” at the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations Ceremony.
The event is scheduled to be held on April 15, 2024, at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
According to a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Sunday, the ceremony is “aimed at motivating officers and men of the NPF to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service”.
He said it will “recognize and honour gallant, industrious, committed, honest and patriotic officers of the Force whose nominations were thoroughly scrutinised by the award Committee, and inspire officers to be more committed to their work by emulating award winners”.
The nominees for the awards and their respective categories include SP Ogunmolasuyi Busola Mariam (Lagos), CSP Mustapha Mohammed Musa (Ekiti), and SP Kasumu Rilwan Oluporo (Lagos) for the Investigator of the Year Award; SP Larrycarr Augustus Nwapi (Plateau), CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel (Kano), and CSP Adeniyi Adekunle (Ogun) for the Community Policing Advocate of the Year; Insp. Aminu Suleiman Jikamshi (Kano), Insp. Adekola Joseph (Osun), and Insp. Onyia Everistus (Enugu) for the Detective of the Year Award; SP Garba Ibrahim (Katsina), CSP Odeyeyiwa Oladimeji (Imo), and DSP Adeyemi Akeem (Zone 2 Lagos) for the Crime Buster of the Year Award; ASP Kabir Auwal (Kastina), ASP Zubairu Usman (Adamawa), and ASP Nnamdi Egbunike (NPF-NCCC) for the Cybercrime Buster of the Year Award.
Others are GD III Alabi Kayode, GD I Salisu Haruna and GD I Abdullahi Ibrahim for the Traffic Warden of the Year; SP Edafe Bright, SP Haruna Abdullahi, and DSP Daniel Ndukwe Ekea for the PRO of the Year; Cpl. Collins Obi, PC Tombrapa Grikpa, and Cpl. Abbey Yetunde as Sports Person of the Year; Operation Haba Maza Desert Intervention Squad Yobe, Federal Safer Highway Patrol (Yabo-Argungu/Sanyinna Road) Sokoto, and 40PMF Patrol Team Taraba for Patrol Team of the Year; CSP Ihegboro Minachiso, ACP Kazim Olakunle Olayemi, and ACP Dere Yusuf Olalekan for Medical Personnel of the Year; CSP Babayola Mohammed Musa (DPO Bwari), SP Ojekunle Nurudeen Ishola (DPO Tarka), and CSP Shaba Aliyu (DPO Ekpan) for DPO of the Year; ACP Muhammad Musa, ACP Shehu Alao, and ACP Obigwa Francis Obigwa for Area Commander of the Year; and Insp. Daniel Shagbaor Kwaghaalade, ASP Madaki Wisdom Emmanuel, and SP Yetunde Olabisi Cardoso for Legal Officer of the Year.
It said, “Similarly, Award for Gallantry will be tussled by ASP Iro Shuaibu, SP Elaigwu Augustine and CSP Alphouse Andrew; Award for Integrity by Counter Intelligence Unit (FID), SP Okoi Emmanuel Iferi, and SP Idris Ibrahim; while SP Bako Angbashim, Insp. Iroere Friday, Insp. Abe Olubunmi, Sgt. Kuden Elisha, Sgt. Akpan Aniette, Sgt. Friday Ejemito, and Sgt. Ayere Paul will all get posthumous awards for their exceptional service.
“The IGP Special Recognition has CP Benneth Igweh (FCT), CP Olufemi Abaniwonda (Delta), Officers of the Special Squad I (Lagos), DSP Isaac Solomon Iko-Ojo, Men of 14 PMF Adamawa, ASP Godwin Hosea, and Inspr. Atagbede Eneojo all in the category.
“Also, the Special Achievement Award has DCP Mohammed Sanusi (Commander IRT), the NPF-NCCC, and DSP Ntul Sylvanus (EOD Borno) as nominees. Meanwhile, SP Moruf Akanbi Salami, CSP Ameh Lydia, and Police Medallists at the 13th African Games will receive the IGP Commendation; and CP Augustina Ogbodo (Ebonyi), CP Danjuma Aboki (Imo), and CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu (Rivers) will jostle for the Commissioner of Police of the year award.
“At the event, a winner, in each of the categories, would emerge and be decorated by the special guests.
“The IGP has showered encomiums on junior officers who have been well represented in the nominee’s lineup for their outstanding noticeable performances, which earned them the nominations. He also emphasized their crucial role in maintaining law and order across the country.
“The Inspector General of Police extends heartfelt congratulations to all nominees wishing them the very best at the ceremony while reaffirming the staunch dedication of the Force to fostering a culture of excellence and professionalism among its personnel. He charges all officers and men to continually show devotion to duty as the NPF looks forward to honouring more deserving officers in the future.”
Earlier in April, human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, decried the poor salaries and the N1.5 million gratuity being given to police officers and retired police personnel respectively by the Nigerian government.
Sowore, the former candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, said it was disheartening that men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force put their lives on the line for 35 years only to get N1.5 million (about $1,000) while corrupt average senators take home at least N15 million monthly.
Sowore said this while reacting to a video in which the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced the award night.
According to Egbetokun, despite the sacrifices made by the police personnel, they are hardly rewarded.
However, Sowore said that this “explains the wrong priorities that have bedeviled ‘leadership’ in Nigeria.”
He wrote on his X handle, “Recently, it came to light that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) cadre of the Nigeria Police Force takes home a retirement gratuity of less than or about $1000 after serving their nation for 35 years rather than looking at how to fix the remuneration of the rank and file of the Nigeria Police the IG of Police is planning an “award night” at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja to reward some of their loyal boys and/or girls.
“This is going to be another time-wasting, money-gobbling jamboree in Abuja that the police don’t need.”
“All policemen and by extension civil servants need a living wage, adequate housing, dedicated and professional transportation, life insurance, proper training and retraining, hazard allowances, and a decent environment of work that humanizes them and most importantly a leadership that understands police work, not an “award night” for loyal police bootlickers!” he added in the post.
