Female DPOs Setting The Pace For Community Policing In Lagos State

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The concept of community policing being championed by the Nigerian Police may be taking the center stage in many communities and states especially Lagos State as female Police Officers are positioned in many Divisions promoting the image of the Police and building relationships with diligence.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that at the Lagos State Command, senior female Police Officers are being deployed to serve as Divisional Police Officers at various Divisions unlike in the past when the male folks held sway.

The female DPOs have so far distinguished themselves diligently, professionally and are polishing the image of the Nigeria Police at various Divisions while promoting community policing.

This is coming as criminals are becoming more daring, unpredictable, complex, creative and sophisticated in their nefarious activities and operations but they appear not to have space to operate within the Lagos State Command.

Interestingly, some of these female DPOs played major roles to control the damage or carnage on Police Stations owing to their community based relationship, which they had built with the people in the Divisions. The residents therefore, became watch dogs against arson and destruction of Police property in Lagos State especially during the recent #EndSARS protests, which snowballed into serious violence.

P.M.EXPRESS in this report,  highlights the activities of some of the female DPOs and what they do to maintain relationship with the public in their areas.

1: CSP Oyin Francess. A.She is the DPO, Aswani Division, where she has been holding sway for the Nigeria Police, building relationship with the public. Two striking qualities about Oyin, as she is popularly known, are super human relations and management. She was able to save her station from the hands of the hoodlums, who had wanted the burn down the station during the #EndSARS protest but due to her creative thinking and good relationship with the residents, the youths in the area joined the Police in keeping vigil to ensure the station was not burnt all through the period. 
Oyin automatically turned to a cook; bought food items and started serving the youths, who had volunteered, everyday during the period. Apart from that, CSP Oyin showed love and compassion to the residents by providing palliatives not only to the residents but three communities namely Isolo, Okota and Area F Barracks, Ikeja, during the Covid-19 lockdown. The relationship has brought relative peace to Aswani area because the residents are always ready and willing to provide information to CSP Oyin, which had assisted in planting peace and order in the area. 

2. CSP Tokunbo Aboniwonda: 
She is the DPO, Ipaja Division. The area, which is located in Alimosho LGA, had been known to be notorious for criminal activities but suddenly that became a thing of the past after the hard working CSP Aboniwonda was transferred to the Division. The magic touches of CSP Aboniwonda are determination, courage and being a team player. she has the charismatic and management ability to build relationship between the officers and the residents, which has built trust and confidence. The result is the relative peace people enjoy in Ipaja area of Lagos. No wonder, during the #EndSARS protest, the residents were solidly behind her and ensured that the Police Station was not burnt down.

3. CSP Patricia Amadi:
She is the DPO, Anthony Division. she had brief stint with Nigeria Police Public Relations Department when she was growing in her carrier as a cadet officer and this may have informed her superb relationship with the public. She was able to manage the hoodlums, who attempted to burn the Station through power of speech and eventually dislodged them during the protest.There is relative peace in Anthony area due to the relationship CSP Amadi has built with the residents since she took over as DPO.

4. CSP Olubisi Oyedepo:
She is the DPO of Aguda Police Station. Despite the fact that Aguda is one of the high volatile areas for crime, CSP Oyedepo has continued to maintain peace, protect lives and property through community policing.

From our findings, the residents said that even as they wished to see her get promoted to higher responsibilities, she should be promoted by the Police authorities but allowed a little more time with them as she had been outstanding in the discharge of her duties in the area.

5. CSP Margaret Okonkwo:
 Margaret is the DPO, Owutu Division in Ikorodu area of Lagos. Since she got to Ikorodu, she has been busy with the checking of criminal activities in the area by deploying community policing strategies after serving meritoriously as Lagos State Traffic Officer fondly called MOTOPOL.

CSP Okonkwo has been honoured with different awards for her distinguished service to Nigeria and her immediate constituency, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). She is a recipient of Gold Medal Award from the United Nations for hard work and dedication to duty. She was given an award by the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Lagos Chapter, in recognition of her selfless service to humanity in the area of traffic management and control. Junior Chambers International, Lagos Metropolitan Nigeria equally gave her an award for Exceptional Talent, Strength and Outstanding Performance.