IGP Egbetokun Applauds Celebration Of Police Officer Of The Year 2024 By Bayelsa State Governor 

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has commended the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri, for hosting a high-level state banquet in honour of Superintendent of Police (SP) Sentome Obi, recipient of the Police Officer of the Year 2024 and IGP Integrity Award.

The event, which took place on Tuesday, 23rd July 2025 in Yenagoa, symbolises a significant recognition of honour, courage, and ethical excellence in law enforcement.

SP Sentome Obi, a Bayelsa native and Head of the Financial and Cybercrime Unit at Zone 16 Command, Yenagoa, earned national acclaim following his refusal of a $17,000 bribe aimed at derailing a sensitive investigation.

His principled stance, executed under operational pressure, exemplifies the highest standards of ethical policing. In acknowledgment of this uncommon integrity, Governor Diri presented SP Obi with a brand-new Toyota Corolla and a fully furnished three-bedroom bungalow; an unprecedented reward for ethical conduct in public service.

The IGP lauded the gesture as a watershed moment in the effort to institutionalize integrity within Nigeria’s security architecture. He noted that public recognition of exemplary officers is a powerful tool not only for reinforcing professional values within the Force but also for restoring public confidence in policing as a noble and honourable profession.

According to the IGP, “This is more than a commendation, it is a cultural statement. It tells every officer that integrity is not just expected but rewarded”.

In line with this philosophy, the Force Management Team, under the leadership of the IGP, had earlier on, at its meeting held on Monday, 23rd June 2025, resolved to recommend SP Obi, Police Officer of the year, 2024 and CSP Aliyu Shaba, the recipient of the Police Officer of the Year award 2023 for accelerated promotion by the Police Service Commission.

The Team also approved that SP Obi’s portrait and that of CSP
Aliyu Shaba be displayed prominently at the entrances of all State and Zonal Command Headquarters, the main entrance of Louis Edet House (Force Headquarters, Abuja), and the Nigeria Police Hall of Fame on the 7th Floor of the Force Headquarters.

Further decisions reached included the adoption of a merit-driven framework for promotion, under which any officer who has won the Police award or received the IGP Recognition Award or other national commendation at least twice in the last two consecutive award cycles will be considered for accelerated promotion. This policy direction is intended to embed reward-for-performance as a sustainable feature of the Force’s personnel development strategy.

These initiatives are part of a broader leadership commitment by the IGP to reposition the Nigeria Police Force as a modern, accountable, and ethically grounded institution. By celebrating integrity, rewarding professionalism, and elevating officers who embody the core values of the Force – discipline, transparency, service, and excellence, the IGP continues to lay the foundation for a new culture of policing in Nigeria.