A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, talks to ALEXANDER OKERE about his career, how he tackled security challenges in Lagos under his watch and how he is faring in retirementYou retired from the Nigeria Police Force in 2021. How has retirement been so far?I thank God. Life has been good. For those of us that were very committed to service, immediately after retirement, we had more time on our hands. We were able to bond better with our family and the church, as well as take care of ourselves better, and run our little private businesses.Not many police officers retire at the level of AIG. How did you feel when you got that promotion in 2021?I was elated and grateful to God. I never expected that I would rise to become an AIG before disengaging (from the force), given all the factors at play throughout my career. But, I thank God that my hard work, determination and perseverance paid off. God crowned my efforts and I got promoted to that rank.
What do you mean that you never expected you would rise to that level ‘given all the factors at play throughout my career’?
I meant the early stages of my career when the quota system was in place. I am from Edo State and the quota system was not favourable to some of us from the state. It was a constitutional policy called the ‘federal character’ which, luckily, is no longer a major factor. Now, everybody has equal opportunities. It is one’s assessment that qualifies one for a promotion, not necessarily by the part of the country one comes from. When I joined the force, promotion was based on a quota system, and it did not favour some of us from minority groups. But, I am happy that that policy is no longer strictly applied, especially now that there is the Police Service Commission that makes sure promotions come as and when due if an officer has a clean record. Luckily for me, that policy was not applied when I was retiring, so I was able to get my promotion.
Did retirement come too early or at the time you expected?
I joined the police force as a young man immediately after my national youth service in 1985. I joined as a cadet assistant superintendent of police in 1986. I was 23 years old at that time, and I was in service for 35 years, though I am not up to 60 years; I would be 59 years old this year. As a constitutional policy, it is either retirement after 35 years of service or at the age of 60. So, it (retirement) came at the right time. I served my nation meritoriously for 35 years and left without any blemish. I thank God.
In 2019, there were reports of a tussle between you and a former Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over the leadership of the Lagos State Police Command. How was the issue resolved and what’s your relationship with him now?
There was no issue then at all. He has always been a colleague and a friend. It is not our duty to deploy officers. It is the duty of the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission to do that. Was someone not the commissioner of police when I was deployed to take over from him? So, why would I have issues with someone else? I was not planning to take charge of Lagos forever. I thank God that I had the opportunity to serve in such a high capacity. If God said my time in Lagos was up, who am I not to have welcomed the next person, and go for other responsibilities. We (with Egbetokun) have a very cordial relationship.
How did you spend your first month in retirement?
The first month was spent giving praise to God. I belong to the Christ Apostolic Church and we believe in prayers. We own the ‘prayer mountain’, so for those of us that trust in God, it is difficult to put 35 years into the police force. My family and I gave thanks to God before I started thinking about other things I could do to keep body and soul together.
Was it easy for you to disconnect from your work life?
My work life was energetic. One was always on the move. There were times one had to wake up early. Stopping that suddenly without something to keep one active would have an effect on one. Fortunately for me, immediately after I retired, I set up a security firm, so I was able to keep myself busy. I was able to wake up at the normal time and go to an office and keep myself busy physically and mentally. The transition from police life to that of a civilian was not that dislocated. I was able to cope.
You mentioned that you became closer to the church upon retirement. What exactly do you mean?
A policeman usually does not have time for himself. As a policeman, I worked in very demanding commands and formations throughout my career. As such, I did not have my weekends to myself. Most times, when one was supposed to be in church, one would be on the field working. But now, I have time to attend church programmes and contribute more to the propagation of the word of God.
If you had not become a police officer, what would you have loved to do?
I would have loved to still render service to people. I would have loved to be in any of the forces, probably the Navy or the federal civil service. For me, joining the Nigeria Police was not accidental. As a matter of fact, I did not attend any other (job) interview. I attended a police interview and was employed.
What attracted you to the force?
I wanted to be a policeman for many reasons. I still believe the police force is one organisation where one can render selfless service to one’s nation and humanity. I grew up in the government reserved area of Benin City, close to the official quarters of the Edo State Commissioner of Police. When I was younger, I used to see the Commissioner of Police and his entourage with the police flag on his official car as well as the riders on BMW outrider bikes, which I found fascinating. In those days, there were very neat, reliable and responsible policemen.
Many police officers are admired for their neatness and smart looks in uniform. Does looking smart matter even in rugged terrains?
Yes. Being in a rugged terrain does not mean a police officer should look shabby. A police officer going to the scene of a crime or a danger zone to confront criminals may want to use a certain uniform suitable for such. One must always turn out neatly because it is part of the discipline (expected of a police officer). Appearance depicts how disciplined an officer is. It conveys a message of reassurance. If you get to a police station and see smart and neatly dressed policemen, you would be reassured, especially because of the fake policemen we have here and there.Second, it shows that neatly dressed policemen are responsible people one can repose trust in because policing is all about trust. It is important that the police force places a premium on how policemen are dressed.
Which among the police formations you worked were the most demanding?
For me, it was the Lagos State Police Command because, for one reason or the other, I spent most of my career there. The reason is that Lagos is a cosmopolitan state. It is a mini Nigeria, and in terms of fighting and maintaining law and order, it is more demanding. I had a lot of challenges policing various formations that I worked in while in Lagos, including as Commissioner of Police.
Which of the criminal cases you worked on was the toughest to crack?
As a Deputy Commissioner of Police and subsequently Commissioner of Police, we had the Badoo crisis in Ikorodu. It was difficult because it had some mystical connotations. We suddenly woke to the reality that some people were entering the homes of poor citizens, wiping out entire families and smashing their heads with some kind of mystical stones and used handkerchiefs to clean their blood. All our intelligence (gathering) and efforts put in place to stop the menace did not yield the desired result. I had to go the extra mile to find a permanent solution. I thank God we were able to jointly resolve that problem in Ikorodu.
What did you find worrying about the motivation the suspects gave for committing such crimes?
If one wants to talk about motivation for carrying out a crime, the first obvious one is financial. If a person kills people and uses a white handkerchief to smear their blood, the person must sell that handkerchief for such action to be meaningful to them. It means people bought such handkerchiefs from them. I believe their motivation was to sell those handkerchiefs and make money. They did not murder for fun. It was worrisome how heartless human beings could be, killing an entire family just to make money.
How did you handle pressure from notoriously criminal gangs trying to curry the favour of the commissioner of police in states?
There is no policeman – whether a commissioner or a constable – that will not face external influences to sway justice in one way or the other. That is where integrity, discipline and the fear of God come in. One would hear some colleagues saying a policeman does not have to be wicked. It is not about being wicked; it is about enforcing the law, and that is what we signed up to do. If we don’t enforce the law, we would have a lawless society and everybody would pay dearly for it. So, I had such challenges but I made sure my subordinates did the right thing according to the law.
Would you say the same for the pressure from politicians and political parties who want police chiefs to look away when their supporters foment trouble?
As some people say, one cannot separate policing from politics. It is only a person who is not a Nigerian that would claim not to know the antics of politicians and their desperation at times when it comes to winning elections and getting power. A policeman has to be prepared to deal with such situations. How they go about it is what matters. One cannot dine with politicians and turn round to say one wants to hold them accountable. If one wants to do that, then one should not dine with them. That is my principle.
