Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba, yesterday decorated 25 newly promoted senior police officers with their new ranks in Abuja.
The IG also decorated a couple, Mr. Kehinde Longe and his wife, Yetunde Longe, with the rank of Commissioner of Police.
The couple were among those promoted by the Police Service Commission recently along with 15 other commissioners of police.
Reading their citations, the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said the husband and wife were course mates and joined the Nigeria Police the same day.
The officers were decorated with their new ranks amidst cheers from their spouses, loved ones and well-wishers.
The senior officers included Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Mr. Zaki Ahmed and the DIG in charge of Research and Planning at the Force Headquarters, Mr. Johnson Babatunde Kokumo.
Also decorated were six Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) who were elevated from their previous rank of Commissioner of Police.
They include AIG Buba Sanusi (former CP Katsina), AIG Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu (former CP Anti-Fraud, FCID), AIG Bello Sani Dalijan (former CP INEC), AIG Yahaya Sahabo Abubakar (former CP Yobe), AIG Akingbola Olatunji, (former CP Benue), and AIG Hakeem Odumosu, (former CP Lagos).
The 17 commissioners of police who were elevated from their previous rank of Deputy Commissioners of Police include CP Josephine Nneka Anyasinti, CP Haruna Gabriel Garba, CP Tajudeen Akinwale Abass and the couple, CP Patrick Kehinde Longe and CP Yetunde Longe.
The highlight of the brief ceremony was the presentation of an award to AIG Hakeem Odumosu as the best Commissioner of Police for the year 2021 by the President, Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Hajiya Hajjara Usman Alkali Baba for his commitment towards women empowerment, social development, effective crime fighting and quality service delivery.
The IG, while congratulating the newly promoted officers, charged them to bring their vast experiences and professionalism to bear in advancing the fortunes of the force in their new ranks while keying to his vision and mission statement of his administration which is “to protect with courage and serve with compassion.”
