FOR many Nigerians and foreigners familiar with CSP Olabisi Oluwaseyi Okuwobi and those who have heard about her outstanding qualities as an officer in the Nigeria Police Force, the announcement of her appointment as the new National Coordinator for the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), by the Inspector General of Police on Saturday, February 20, came as no surprise.
For those who have had interactions with her, they have always believed her to be one of the needed hands in the law enforcement agency to make it an agency that everyone would eventually be proud of.
In her services as the police public relations officer and divisional police officer in different state commands, Okuwobi played significant roles as a police officer, but did not drop humanness by the side. She always plays her role as a mediator of peace even in law enforcement.
So when the news of the appointment broke, many Nigerians applauded it, with the opinion that the IGP is putting a round peg in a round hole.
Though pleasant to interact with, Okuwobi is known as tough and unfriendly with vices, including cultism, which is believed to have made her appropriate for appointment by the IGP. As she is seen as a fine but no-nonsense police officer, it is also believed she would surely do justice to issues of cultism with her appointment as the POCACOV national coordinator.
Many Nigerians are of the belief that there would be a reduction in the practice of cultism which had led many cult group members to commit other crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rivalry clashes cum murder, among others.
Going into Okuwobi’s background, she obtained Bachelor of Arts in English from the then Ogun State University in 2000, and Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan in 2010.
She joined the Nigeria Police Academy as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 2002 and was the Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command in 2004; PPRO, Benue State Command in 2007; and PPRO, Oyo State Command, 2007 to 2016.
While in the state commands, particularly Oyo, CSP Okuwobi’s sterling qualities, human relations, and grasp of issues which she used to resolve, with all sides satisfied, stood her out among others.
While in Oyo, she facilitated daily radio sensitisation programmes on radio stations in the state to bring the command’s community policing efforts to general awareness.
Through the programmes, she sensitised members of the public on security tips to help in administering personal security and addressing police misdemeanors.
While in Oyo State Command, she went to the United Nations in Liberia (UNMIL) between 2010 and 2012, after which she returned to continue her work.
While in Liberia, the Community Policing and Public Information Team in the United Nations Missions in Liberia, in a letter, commended Okuwobi for her dedication and professional commitment in support of the development and capacity building of the Liberian National Police (LNP).
The team appreciated her steadfast display of outstanding work ethic and initiative while working closely with her LNP counterparts and serving as a public information officer in the UNPOL Community Policing and Public Information Team.
Particularly noted was her hard work in facilitating the production of jingles during the campaign of child rape and LNP female recruitment, among others.
The letter read that her performance was in accordance with the highest tradition of the United Nations and in complete conformity with the organisation’s expectations of behaviour and commitment to duty.
Among awards, commendations and recognitions that had been bestowed on Okuwobi in different places and by different bodies and organizations are Excellence in Crime Fighting Award by Nigeria Peace Magazine — 2009, Award of Excellence in Crime Fighting by Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria— 2019, Best DPO by Lagos State Police Command —2019, and Most Innovative DPO Award by Lagos State Police Command /Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria — 2020, among several others.
She is also a member of some professional organizations including the Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Association of Black Law Executives (NABLE), National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), International Association of Women Police (IAWP), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and International Public Relations Association (IPRA).
and then