DCP Kyari: another deserving garland for a quintessential cop
‘Tope Adaramola
According to Brian Tracy, one important decision that any one should make at the advent of a career or a profession is to be the best in what you are set out to be. This admonition must have been wittingly or unwittingly resonated in the mind of one of Nigeria’s proudest Policemen, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari when he joined the Police Force.
To single out Abba Kyari for this piece is deliberate as it underscores the belief that there is really no organization that is completely bereft of good products. In fact it often takes a little fox to spoil a whole vine.
Despite the sordid stories that the Nigeria Police Force often attract to itself on a daily basis, bordering mainly on corruption, indiscipline and public relationship to mention a few, it is not lost on one that the same organization has over the years brought honours to this country from involvement in international peace keeping operations, where our so much derided “men in black” shone amongst their peers like million stars.
This has raised the fundamental need to continue to critically appraise the environment or milieu in which our policemen operate that foist on them some unethical conducts identified with them. It is often the case that a people, nay a system, gets the type of policemen it deserves.
Back to Abba Kyari, our nation and the Police have been so blessed to have the Borno State born cop in the nation’s crime fighting efforts. Enlisted as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 2000,Kyari has from the outset of his career strived to tower above his contemporaries through diligence, high level disciple and adroit leadership skills.
He was always available where it was hard and knotty, taking up dreaded criminal networks and dismantling their fortes. In consonance with the biblical injunction that “show me a man diligent in his duties, he will stand before kings and not mean men”,
Kyari has been a product of merited mercy from appreciative high police command and many that matter in the Nigerian society. His meteoric rise in the Police has been purely on compensatory logic for hard work, effrontery and exemplary services. As a man of value, it is quite natural that promotion and advancement goes after men and women who prove to be valuable to their employers.
It is on record that Kyari and his crack team have over the years contributed to giving desired peace of mind to Nigerians and by so doing creating a clement environment for socio, political development of the country.
It’s not far- fetched that is through the efforts of this super cop that the egregious criminal feats of many terror gangs in the country were ended disastrously. In the frontline row of these criminals that have met their waterloo were the dreaded multimillionaire kidnapper, ChukwudumemeOnwaumadike, a.k.aEvans; the “White Vampire” that brought terror and anguish to people of Owerri and its environs. It was his team that also ensured the arrest of the killers of the former Chief of Defense, Alex Badeh.
It is heartening that Kyari led his team to dislodge and arrest several Boko Haram commanders, some of who masterminded the kidnap of the famous Chibok girls. It should not be soon forgotten that it was the same team of Kyari that burst the dreaded Offa Bank robbers in Kwara State where commercial banks were robbed with impunity, leaving in its trail deaths of no fewer than 31 innocent Nigerians, including police men and a pregnant woman. That robbery was reputed as one of the bloodiest of such -2- operations in Nigeria. Most recently in his trail of arrests was that of the kidnap kingpin HamisuBala, a.k.aWadume.
Although in the course of his glorious career, he has served in several states, his feat in Lagos State was highly outstanding and applauded. Lagos State, being characterised by high cases of criminality in view of its cosmopolitan nature, Kyari was a harbinger of peace when he served in the State’spolice command as Head of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for five years.
During this period, he and his team permanently stagnated the foray of kidnappers in the state, leaving bitter pills in the mouths of those evil men who kidnapped the Turkish School children and many other criminal rackets.
While outside the State Kyari was deployed to help in nibbling the dreaded “Badoo” serial killers whose operation was shrouded in fetishes and invincibility. Time and space may not permit the listing of so many other feats to the credit of Kyari as the Commander of Inspector General of Police Intelligent Response Team whose mandate is to countermand high level criminality in the country, a task he has continued to carry out with uncanny humility and uncommon regards for good image for the force through utmost respect for human rights and social relationship.
It is not amazing therefore that Kyari has over the years been variously honoured, both at home and at the international levels, for his stellar performances, justifiably qualifying him as one of the most decorated police officers in the organisation’s history in Nigeria.
It is, therefore, another credit to the national leadership of the National Assembly under Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila that this illustrious Nigerian and specimen of an ideal cop is being honoured at the plenary session of the lower chamber.
Though being part of the positive initiatives by the 9th National Assembly to honour outstanding Nigerians, the recognition of Kyariby the lawmakers would definitely be a great source of motivation personally for the officer to put in more efforts in achieving the task of policing the nation, as well as positively affectingthe aspiration of other good officers in his mold in the Nigeria Police to stand for what is right and noble, bearing in mind that there would always be a day of rewards. Definitely, somewhere in the inner recesses of Abba Kyari’s heart is a burning desire to make a difference and earn himself a name among the nobles in the world, by utilizing his gift and occupation to bring peace of mind to mankind through his policing duties.
With more of Abba Kyaris,it is a surety that we would soon have a Nigeria Police Force that is truly efficient, professional and loved by all Nigerians to the collective benefit of us all. I join multitude of other well-meaning Nigerians to celebrate and wish this iconic cop well as he climbs further the ladder of his profession.
Tope Adaramola is a PR professional.
