Abubakar Aliyu and Patricia  Amadin as Heroes of the Force

These two represent the very best of the Nigerian Police Force and it is no wonder that the Lagos State Stakeholders Forum on Police Accountability just honoured them with an award for effective community engagement and upholding police accountability. That they both more than deserve the awards cannot be overemphasised. CSP Aliyu is one of the most thoroughbred police officers you will ever come across.

I have had a personal encounter with him, when some bad eggs within the police force set up a joint task force with some errant officials of LASTMA to rob and humiliate me.

It was to his office the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police Edgal sent my matter. Come and see the way Aliyu went after these rogues under the Ketu bridge. It was like film o.

They took me to the scene and the policemen scattered. Aliyu and his team jumped at them; come and see policemen running for their dear lives. They kept me at a safe distance as the pursuit ensued.

Me, I wanted to run o, so a stray bullet would not come and kill me o, but one sweet police woman held my hand and I said, “No ma, please, can I put my head on your chest, I am scared?” She said “ok.”

That was how Aliyu apprehended all the policemen and since then we have become very good friends. He is the head of the X Squad and I hear his job is to monitor the policemen who run counter to their ethics. Brave man.

CSP Amadin on the other hand I have never met, but her reputation precedes her. I have heard some very good and strong stories about her passion for the job. In fact, the other day, when the DPO of Alausa, one fat black woman like that with low cut just arrested me like that o; it was the CSP Amadin that everybody was saying call because she would never behave like that.

My people, a tanker was burning on that Otedola bridge – you know, we have not yet unraveled the juju that used to lead to all that tanker accidents on that axis that will be killing people anyhow – that was how I was running for dear life. We were plenty running away and driving one way to avoid imminent death.

Mummy DPO now chose me o. Me ooo, to arrest for driving ‘one way’. I thought it was a joke. I looked at mummy, I said, “are you serious, can you not see the fire, is it only me running away? mbok this is the ‘wrongest’ time to be looking for a boyfriend o if that is the reason you are arresting me o.”

 Well las las, I ran away and left the car and the keys in the ignition. Shebi we will be alive first.

After the inferno and confusion, I went to the station and there was my car with deflated tires and madam swearing with all the gods of Ijebu that I will be the last person she will release.

Everybody I called, said, call DPO Anthony Village. She is kind and well respected. I swear. Everybody said that. I could not reach her and it took Yemi Shodimu to come to the station to show star quality to release me – that one will be doing like Yoruba Idris Elba.

Since then, I had made a mental note to look out for this DPO Anthony Village that everybody was saying was a very dutiful policewoman.

So, you can imagine my excitement, when I heard of this award being conferred on her and my brother. All I can say, is that the Nigerian Police Force is made up of some of the most brilliant, hardworking Nigerians who still go on and perform wonders despite the very horrid conditions of their service. Well-done guys. Well-done.