The Immediate Past Police Commissioner in Lagos State, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, inspected the final parade as a police officer on Tuesday, bowing off duty.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his note of commendation, said that Mr. Odumosu served Lagos and the country with all the mental and physical strength with which he is endowed, saying it was time that the star crime destroyer The uniform will be removed for later service. life.
Mr. Odumosu’s retirement from the Force followed his recent attainment of AIG rank, after which the legal retirement age was established. He enlisted in the police on March 3, 1990 and served for 32 years.
The AIG bowed at the withdrawal parade and farewell ceremony organized in their honor by the Lagos State Government at the Ikeja Police Training Camp.
The event was attended by members of the State Executive Council; representative of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP); former PGI Musiliu Smith; Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu; wife of the Minister of Works and Housing, Abimbola Fashola; Police Commissioners of the Southwestern states; Lagos State Officials’ Wives Committee; and relatives of the retiring officer.
Mr. Odumosu, nicknamed “Tango One” for his ability to expel criminals, served as the first chairman of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Crimes Enforcement Unit (Task Force) and also as Commander of the Rapid Response (RRS) financed by the State.
Sanwo-Olu described him as a “nemesis” of criminal-minded elements, noting that the former Lagos Police Commissioner had a deep understanding of the nooks and crannies of the state.
Mr. Odumosu bowed at the retirement parade and farewell ceremony organized in his honor by the Lagos State Government. Credit: LASG
The Governor thanked the outgoing AIG for their service to Lagos during which the state saw a declining crime rate. The governor said that Mr. Odumosu carried out his constitutional duties with vigor, courage and without making excuses, adding that he led the officers serving in the State Police Command from the front lines during his tenure as Commissioner.
“The appointment of Hakeem Odumosu in November 2019 as Police Commissioner in Lagos came with high expectations, as it was believed that his arrival would bring the long-sought relief that many Lagosians longed for given the security challenges facing the state in that state. time,” the governor said.
“These expectations arose as a result of their deep knowledge and understanding of what the Lagos security architecture should be.
“Tango One, as we all call it, came with a wealth of experience and new approaches to effective policing. Those approaches led to an improvement in the safety of life and property in Lagos.
“He came, he saw and he is bequeathing a well-informed and motivated police command to the officers serving in Lagos. He carried out his duties diligently and emerged as an outstanding police officer. I am happy to be on this occasion, which is a well-deserved farewell to AIG Hakeem Odumosu from the Nigerian Police Force.”
The governor said that Mr. Odumosu was leaving a big shoe in the Command, given his meritorious achievement as a crime buster. He tasked the new Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, to pick up the gauntlet and build on the structure established by his predecessor.
“It would be a disservice to AIG Odumosu if the level of vigilance in Lagos drops after this time. The least we can do is make sure that Odumosu’s work is not in vain.
“I urge the new Police Commissioner and all officers serving in the Lagos Command to show a renewed commitment to fighting crime and ensuring that the safety of lives is raised to a level where the State would be the envy of others. in the country,” said Mr. Sanwo-Olu. saying.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of Southwest operations, Johnson Kokumo, who represented IGP Usman Baba, said that Mr. Odumosu, throughout his years of service, did not fit the description of “officer of mercantile police”, a term used to portray unethical officers, emphasizing that the AIG was leaving a legacy of diligence, hard work and rigor in the Force.
Mr. Smith, chairman of the Police Service Commission, said it was time for Mr. Odumosu to rest after a successful police career and establish himself as a family man.
In his farewell address, Mr. Odumosu, accompanied by his wife, Nafisat, said that he was not leaving the Force out of exhaustion, but to experience civilian life, having reached mandatory retirement age.
He noted that his decision to join the police force was not due to unemployment but to his desire to serve his motherland after earning his first degree in Arts from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna state.
Mr. Odumosu bowed at the retirement parade and farewell ceremony organized in his honor by the Lagos State Government. Credit: LASG
Mr. Odumosu, who also has a law degree, two master’s degrees and diploma certificates, advised young officers to adopt the discipline, which he described as the “base of the Force”.
He said: “I want it to be known that despite the challenges I have faced over the course of my career, I have no regrets about joining the Force. The police adequately prepared me to become a professional law enforcement officer who can stand out among his peers anywhere in the world.
“As Commander of the Lagos RRS, the job empowered me to go head-to-head with reckless armed criminals whose passion was robbing banks. Since then, bank robbery incidents in Lagos have plummeted. Today, I am proud to say that there was not a single bank robbery during my tenure as Police Commissioner in Lagos.
“It is time for me to leave the state and continue my journey towards civilian life. I have played my part and delivered my line. I’m retiring today, but I’m not tired. The Nigerian Police Force will remain my constituency.”
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Mr. Odumosu thanked the leader of the Congress of All Progressives, Bola Tinubu; Governor Sanwo-Olu; and Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola for being pillars of support throughout their years of service in Lagos.