The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, recently welcomed the brave officers of the Nigeria Police Force’s Special Intervention Squad who, alongside the military, the State Security Service (SSS), and other security agencies, took part in the rescue of the abducted Oriire schoolchildren.
The IGP did more than welcome the officers. He also mourned one of them who lost his life during the operation. It was not the first time he publicly mourned a police officer killed in the line of duty. Since becoming the 23rd Indigenous Inspector-General of Police, IGP Disu has continued to show that the lives of police officers matter and that the death of any officer serving the country is a national loss.
He showed this in Zamfara State when he attended the funeral prayers of a police officer who was killed by bandits. His presence sent a strong message to serving officers and the families of the fallen that their sacrifices are not forgotten.
The IGP is changing the narrative. In Nigeria, when we hear the words “fallen heroes,” we often think only of soldiers who died defending the country. Every year, they are honoured during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, and rightly so. But we hardly give the same recognition to police officers and other security personnel who die fighting bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, terrorists, and other violent criminals.
