The Nigeria Police, Lagos State Police Command was lively with joy and celebration yesterday as Police officers were joined by security stakeholders from various sections of society to celebrate the annual Police Day 2025. The celebration held at the Police Officers’ Mess, Ikeja GRA, Lagos featured a stakeholders’ meeting alongside other activities.
The Annual National Police Day is a nationwide celebration approved by the President/Commander-in-Chief, Pres. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to celebrate the efforts of Police officers in promoting law and order and ensuring internal security in the country. As approved by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the events marking the Day has been weeklong starting from Wednesday, April 2nd to Monday 7th, 2025 across all Commands and formations in the nation with the grand finale coming up on Monday 7th April at the Force HQ, Abuja.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DC Operations, DCP Fatai Tijani noted that in Lagos, the Nigeria Police ‘have had our community service across our Areas in Lagos. This includes Clean-up exercises in all 14 area commands within the Command of the state. We have had our Medical Outreach, where medical services were rendered free of charge to members of the public. Tomorrow, we are going to have our road Walk, that is the members of the Police Force will walk from a distance to another distance.”One of the programs stated for this week is the stakeholders meeting in which we engage with members of the public. Although we have had this kind of meeting before, but this is special to to mark the Police Day.’
‘Like I said earlier, the grand finale is coming up in Abuja on Monday. I want to appreciate the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for putting this as one of the programs, to mark the Police day for interaction with members of the public. All the services we render are for the members of the public.’
On the stakeholders’ meeting, the CP added: ‘It is to foster the already existing robust synergy between the members of the public and the police. Without the public, there cannot be us, because it is the public that we are serving. We need the public more than anything else. Everybody is a police officer in his own capacity. Whatever information or resources we need to do our job will come from members of the public to us. Without the community synergizing with us, we cannot achieve anything. That is why we need a very robust relationship, collaboration with members of the public. This is one of the avenues that we can interact, discuss, know the feelings of the members of the public, and know where or what to do to assist security-wise.’
‘We have always been together with the PCRC. We have always been together with the Eminent People’s Forum. And some other members, the local government chairmen, the Baales and the chiefs, the paramount rulers of every location or community within the State Command. We are going to interact so that we know what we have in mind.’
Various stakeholders such as members of the PCRC, local chiefs, among others spoke at the event.
The National Vice Chairman, PCRC Southwest, Chief Sonny Adumowo stated: ‘The National Police Day was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria as one of its priorities to set aside a week to celebrate Police officers. As PCRC, we are the eyes and partners in progress with the Nigerian Police, we see what you do. We implore our people and members of the public to join hands together to secure our community, our state and the nation by reporting people that are doing wrong things to the nearest office of the Nigerian Police, reporting to the D.P.O. If you have access to the area commander, you go there. Don’t let us allow crime to rise in our community.’
‘We are all here in Nigeria to enjoy the fruit of our hands not for people that are not ready to work to destroy what we have earned and worked for. It’s not the duty of the Nigerian Police to do it alone. It’s for every one of us.’
The Lagos State Chairman of the PCRC, Apostle Kehinde Showemimo added: ‘We have seen so much work being done by the Nigerian Police. So much work. In Lagos State, in Southwest, we record a lot of peace so we need to give kudos to the Nigeria Police.”But policing has gone beyond operations, it’s more of community policing, and to this extent, I would want to say categorically that as a body PCRC, religious community, we have always been standing by the Police, at the divisional level, at the state level, whatever position, we have done our bit and will keep doing our bit.’
Showemimo continued: ‘We are asking for two things. First of all, there is a need for communicating with the police. Yes, there are so many forums to communicate but you will find out that the phones we are communicating with are DPO’s phone, Area Commander’s phone but these individuals are very mobile. They get promoted and are being posted and reassigned to another place so they move with their personal phones. There is a need for us to have a permanent telephone for each division and Area Command.’
‘We went ahead as PCRC to get telephone boxes for every division. We spent over 3 million naira to get those boxes. And we need a telephone facilitator to get numbers for them. Unfortunately, along the line, those boxes are not being used again because there is a problem with the telephone provider stating that they are owing money on those phones. They blocked all the lines. The boxes are still there. They are wasted. So our intention is to have a permanent number that every generation will get to know that for this division, for this Area Command, this is the permanent number you can always contact, not everybody will walk to the police station to come and give you information but it is easier to communicate on the phone. So please can you provide those things and see how much you can use them and be very fruitful.’
‘Second thing I really want to talk about is that the Police should find a way within your system to show appreciation for the community, Baales, for whoever who have been supporting you so that they can see that yes, they need to keep doing that.’
The Baale of Kirikiri, Chief Babalola Shabi urged Lagosians to report activities in their community promptly to the Police. ‘It is safer to report matters around you. In my domain in Apapa; I have female prisons. I have minimum and maximum prisons. Once they take you to that gate, there’s no going back. The inmates in that prison, many are innocent. But stupidity or silence keep them there. So if you have any matter around you, report to your DPO, your report will save you because they will say this person has reported. Don’t go to your house and not say anything. Sorry for you.’
The Seriki Nafa of Hausa, Sabo Ajangbadi, Alhaji Abubakar Garuso under the leadership of HRH Alhaji Aminu Yaro Dogara thanked the Lagos CP and noted that ‘We have been enjoying the type of good security leadership in Lagos state from the time of our AIG now, Mr. Adegoke M. Fayoade. And we are very happy that you continued from where our AIG started. That is incredible.’
‘If I see something, I go and report it to the police. But I am not afraid because right from the day I was born, God has already signed the day that I will die. If that day comes, nobody can stop my death. The only thing I am afraid of is how I am going to die. Since I don’t have any skeleton in my cupboard, by the special grace of God. Let all the Lagosians wake up from our sleeping day and night. Anywhere you see a criminal or harm, make sure that you report it to the Police.’
The Chairman of the Police Eminent Persons Forum assured the Police in Lagos, ‘We are all here to assist the Police as stakeholders in Lagos State. It will be better for us all to acquaint ourselves with DPOs of our areas. Don’t wait until something is bad before you let the DPO know. We should be ready to serve the nation in community policing.’