Retired AIG Orutugu:How We Made Anambra Safer
AIG Ikioye Orutugu rtd
By Titus Eleweke
It was a moment of celebration, thanksgiving and gratitude to God on Sunday as the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Ikioye Orutugu (rtd.), held his retirement thanksgiving service at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Amawbia, in Awka South Local Government Area of the state.
The ceremony attracted dignitaries from across the country, including the Traditional Ruler of Brass, Bayelsa State, HRH Dr. Otton-Efebo Shidi; the traditional ruler of Ogidi Kingdom, His Royal Majesty (HRM) Igwe Pharm. Alexander Uzo Onyido, Ezechuamagha of Ogidi Kingdom; former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Anambra State, Chief Godwin Ezeimo; Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), DCP Wan Mantu Chongs; heads of police formations, divisional police officers and other personalities.
Speaking during the thanksgiving service, Orutugu said he had no better words to express his gratitude than to thank God for seeing him through his years of service in the Nigeria Police Force.
He recalled that before his deployment to Anambra State, the state was frequently in the news for kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other crimes.
He said he saw the assignment as a major challenge but resolved to confront it without compromising his principles.
“When I was deployed to Anambra State as Commissioner of Police, I was disturbed. When I came, I was focused and focused my mind on God, with the hope that with God, all things are possible. I said the God who brought me to Anambra State would give me the capacity and courage to overcome the challenges in the state.
“I came from the remotest place in the country, and for God to have discovered me and brought me to Anambra to stop kidnapping, cultism and armed robbery, I said He brought me here for a purpose.”he added.
Orutugu said he relied heavily on intelligence gathering and community engagement rather than indiscriminate use of force.
“As a police commissioner, I visited all the nightclubs in Awka, gathering information. While I was in Awka, my Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) were doing the same thing in other cities. I interacted with prostitutes, ashawo, but I never slept with them.
“This is a church, and there are limitations to what to say, but I must say that, in the course of fighting crime, I interacted with ashawo and visited all the nightclubs in Awka every weekend,” he said.
He said his interactions in such environments were strictly aimed at gathering intelligence to assist the police in tackling criminal activities.
“When I came, I said I was not going to shed blood, but I would use leadership and communities to fight the challenges. To the glory of God, I did that and reduced the incidence of crime,” he said.
The retired police chief also said he never lobbied for promotion or deployment throughout his career, attributing his progression to divine providence.
“I have never lobbied to be anywhere throughout my service, and I said the God that brought me here to Anambra would give me the capacity and courage to succeed.
“I am happy today that I came, saw and conquered. Today, to the glory of God, Anambra is safer,” he said.
Orutugu recalled that before his arrival, “there is no day that you will not hear of one bad story or the other” about Anambra.
“However, I was focused and I told myself that those negative stories must stop, and it did stop.
“I come from the remotest part of Nigeria, the beginning and end of this country, which is Brass, and for God to have discovered me to go to Anambra to know what I can do about kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and rituals, I thank God for giving me the capacity to have won that battle against crimes and criminality in this state.” he stated.
He said he adopted no single rigid strategy in fighting insecurity, but visited primary and secondary schools and universities to engage youths and create awareness.
Orutugu also credited community policing and leadership for his security efforts.
“I said that kidnapping must stop. I said we will secure Anambra, and we did. I employed community policing and leadership, and they started assisting in providing information,” he said.
He recalled his efforts to restore Monday trading in Anambra, saying the state’s economy depended heavily on buying and selling.
“Anambra is not really an oil-producing state, and what we know Anambra for is buying and selling. You say they should not open their markets and shops on Mondays and I said no! That cannot happen under my watch because there must be buying and selling in Anambra State.” he added.
He said he worked with public announcer Azia Nwosu, his media team and journalists to encourage traders to return to the markets on Mondays.
“With the help of my Public Relations Officers and my media team, the journalists in Anambra State, which I cannot thank the press in Anambra State enough, we restored the markets on Monday.
“We started from Eke Awka market, then Onitsha and Nnewi. Every Monday, by 6:30am, with Azia Nwosu, we started calling people to come for business. As I was at Eke Awka, other officers were in other markets across the state. We said we must have our markets open, and the governor gave us support.” Orutugu said.
He also recounted his confrontation with popular native doctor Chigozie Nwangwu, aka Akwa Okuko Tiwala Aku.
“The issue of the so-called native doctors, I told Akwa Okuko that I would arrest him, and he was arrested. I told him, if you say you can disappear, disappear from the detention. When he was arrested, I told the Governor that he had been arrested. But today, he has turned a new leaf and is now a good young man and a free man.” he added.
On the Imo Awka festival, Orutugu said he worked with traditional title holders to end the violence associated with the annual celebration.
“They said that in the last 70 years Imo Awka festival was always bloody. I had a meeting with the title men in Awka and we discussed it, and they worked with me. There was no any bloody Imo Awka festival this year.”he stated.
He also recalled his intervention involving Ozo Austin Ndigwe, popularly referred to as “Gidigbam Gidigbam.”
“That other one called Gidigbam Gidigbam, Austin Ndigwe, I told him to stay clear from what he was doing in Awka, and I told him that if he continued, he would be arrested, and he respected himself.” he added.
Orutugu said he was subsequently given the title “Agu Ji Egbe of Awka,” meaning “A Tiger With a Gun.”
“I was focused in the line of duty, and I thank God for that grace,” he said.
At the reception held at Vantage View Hotel, Nibo, also in Awka South LGA, Orutugu commended the officers and men who served with him during his tenure.
He singled out DCP Wan Mantu Chongs, the officer in charge of SCID, for what he described as thoroughness and diligence.
“If he had made a mistake, I would have been queried. Because of his diligence, I did not have much problem investigating crimes in the state,” he said.
He described Chongs as “a fine and trusted police officer whom any person can go to sleep if he is in charge.”
He added that he did get any petition against him because Chongs was deligent and thorough,including during the electioneering period.
Chongs, speaking at the reception, described Orutugu as a fine and disciplined officer whose services the Nigeria Police Force would miss.
He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to find a role for the retired AIG Orutugu where the force could continue to benefit from his wealth of experience.
The traditional ruler of Ogidi Kingdom, HRM Igwe Pharm. Alexander Uzo Onyido, described Orutugu as a gift to Ndi Anambra.
“AIG Ikioye Orutugu was a gift to the people of Anambra State,” he said, adding that the retired police chief was among the notable commissioners the state had witnessed in recent times.
Former PDP governorship candidate, Chief Godwin Ezeimo, also commended Orutugu for reducing criminality during his tenure and prayed that the new Commissioner of Police would learn from his records.
He said that before Orutugu’s tenure, Anambra people were “sleeping without their eyes closed,” but under his watch, they became even more confident in their security.
Earlier, the officiating priest, Venerable Jason O. Z. Onyekagbusi, described Orutugu as a testimony of dedicated service to society and humanity.
“He is a gift to us, the people of Anambra State. While he was here as Police Commissioner, we are witnesses to his performance, and that was why this church gave him an award because he was indeed a great gift to the people of Anambra State,” he said.
In his homily, Onyekagbusi commended the retired AIG for what he described as the peace and sanity he brought to Anambra during his tenure.
“When we talk about security in Anambra State, your name is there, and God will give you the strength to live longer.
“May the good Lord bless you, may the Lord protect you, and may the Lord keep you healthy and grant you long life.
“You are a gift to Anambra and Nigeria, and your life is a testimony to others,” he said.
The cleric thanked God for protecting Orutugu throughout his career and ensuring that he completed his service without losing his life in active duty.
“We thank God that He never allowed you to die in active service. We thank God for protecting you and bringing you to a peaceful retirement from the police.
“We pray that your life after service will be secure and that of your family will also be secured,” he added.
Also speaking, HRH Dr. Otton-Efebo Shidi described Orutugu as a good ambassador of his people and a source of pride to them.
“Today is wonderful, and for one to start his service with God and end it with God by giving Him thanks for making it successful, that is glory to God Almighty,” he said.
He praised Orutugu for distinguishing himself in the Nigeria Police Force and said he had supported the police because of his relationship with the retired AIG.
“While he was a Commissioner, he showed me the hall and I said that I was going to do something about that hall, and I gladly did. Anything that concerns the police, I would gladly assist them, and being my brother, I had no choice but to help. It is something worth doing,” he said.
