AyoAROWOJOLU
Heaven is a place of uncommon bliss, a paradise. And, the journey to that ultimate heavenly abode is not just a walkover! So says the Holy Scriptures in Mathew 7:14: “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto heaven”.
DPO, Rabiu Garuba
Based on the foregoing, not many would want to easily agree with the assertion of one of the rare distinct achievers within the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Rabiu Garba, that being a policeman is the easiest route to making heaven and reaping eternal life in the hereafter.
Garba, a multiple award winner, celebrated many times for rare display of bravery and uncommon human relations skills, is the Divisional Police Officer of Fegge Police Division, Onitsha.
The officer was recently in the news during the EndSARS Protests which culminated in the burning of several police stations as well as the gruesome killing of many policemen across the country.
The moment an irate mob of hoodlums besieged the Fegge Police Station, armed with deadly weapons, in attempt to set it ablaze, Garba, was the last man standing.
He was reported in the news as having braced up courage to walk up to the rioters and calming down their anger. And, in a twist of fate, the protesters, in their hundreds, turned around and started hailing the DPO.
This is ostensibly on account of his dexterity in deploying human relations skills and approaches to community policing with evident dividends in reduced crime rate.
Garba who is also a lawyer, was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in 2002 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police, after studying Anthropology and Sociology at the university.
His first posting was to Rivers State and later Town Bauchi State for training. He has also had the privilege of an overseas training.
He hails from Bauchi State and is married, with children.He served at Mopol 54, Onitsha, in 2009, and in 2014, he became the DPO, Fegge Police Division, where he is serving till date.
Garba spoke during an interview with newsmen recently on his magic wand to attaining wide public acceptation, despite his being a northerner in a core Igbo territory.
Here is what he had to say: “From discussions we had during our Aluta days in the university, people see police as a negative organization. But, for me, there is a need to intervene where there is a shortfall.
“I took it as a challenge. We used to tell ourselves that why a particular organisation is considered bad is because the right people have not entered it. All on my own, I became a policeman. No one forced me, rather, I am here to make the change that I can.
“If you think a particular organisation is bad, why not go into it and try to effect the change that you can? Let me tell you, Police is the easiest way to make heaven. This is an organisation where you are saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives of people.
“It is one organisation where people appreciate you, even for routine duties, which is even something that is the basic duty of every policeman, they appreciate you for it.
“By the trainings I had received as a policeman and the study of Sociology, I know that knowledge is power, and each of my training has helped me to be able to function in the position I found myself.
“This has helped me to associate and feel the pulse of the people. My training teaches me to know that the community you are serving, you should be able to feel free with them, if you are really serving them. You have to be able to understudy them and also be able to know the service to give them. It is the duty of the state to render them service and definitely, for you to be able to render service, you must be humble. Humility must be there for you to be able to serve them.
“In fact, I usually tell my men, if you want to shoot someone, why not put the gun in your leg first and fire it and test the bullet before you fire at other people?”
