•ZONAL PPRO, DOLAPO BADMUS Explains To City People
It is no more news that, come March 20th, 2018, has been set aside by the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command Lagos, to gather the youth together from every nook and cranny to a concert , tagged “The Youth, A Tool For National Security.
Entertainment meets security concert is an initiative to preach the purpose of security to the youths through some of the notable faces they are used to in entertainment industry, likes of Odunlade Adekola, Omoli Oboli, Korede Bello, Dr. Sid, Small Doctor and many more, those that have carved a niche for themselves through their individual skill in entertainment world.
Putting this great idea together is our delectable, dogged, tireless, and tenacious Dolapo Badmus LSPPRO, People called her Celebrity Police Officer just because of her indefatigable spirit, an epitome of beauty who has over the years sown the seed of love into people’s heart through her tenacity.
Dolapo Opeyemi Badmus a Superintendent of Police popularly called Opetodolapo on the social media was appointed 2 years ago by The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Owoseni, a Superintendent of Police, as the Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO.
The fair-skinned and charming female police officer joined the force on the 15th of August, 2002, as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (Course 21 Batch) after intensive training at the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, Kano State.
She is a graduate of Accounting and also a post graduate degree holder in Public Administration.
She has served in various capacities since she joined the force. She was once Aide de Camp, (ADC) to the number four citizen of Nigeria. Until her appointment, she was serving as the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Isokoko Division, Agege, and Lagos State.
Dolapo Badmus is married and blessed with children.
Recently, City People Assistant Editor, SUNDAY ADIGUN paid her a visit where she spoke exclusively on her motive behind the “Entertainment Meet Security” and how she’s been using her God given gift to change the face of Nigeria Police Force.
Let’s talk about your change Agent and Entertainment meet Security Initiative What really inspires the Initiative?
We have a program right now that we are working on and it is called Hashtag Entertainment meet industry concert, slates for 20th of March 2018 at Prof Ajayi Auditorium Unilag Lagos, How do we come about this, the issues started last year, when the DPO called me that he had some suspect that he want to arrange to go to the press, and of course my office handle many of that,
So I said they should bring suspect, and lo and behold when they came , they were kids 7-12 yrs, they were engaged in cultism and they were having attack and counter attack and in the process they were arrested, exhibit found on them were cutlass, axes, knives and all of that, when I look at them I felt so bad, because I can’t imagine these very young children that were supposed to be in school strictly for education and capacity development and they are venturing in circle that we used to know it’s of adult because while we are growing while we are growing up we only hear about cultism in University and other institution so to see that within the Primary School age range it was really sad and since then I’ve been thinking of what I can do, and I discovered that it seems the mentorship is lost, while we were growing up we always have one mentor or the other, but what is happening now everybody rather hold to his or her own daughter or son, or children as the case maybe and my number is on the internet,
So I have lots of people calling from outside the country, to ask questions about different activities when they explain to you, you will discover that some people are already duping them, taking away their money and that is internet fraud, at time they would report know they have been duped, I discovered that it’s so common among our younger ones now, it’s gradually becoming normal thing, that you will even be seeing parents encouraging them, you will also see family members living on those proceed of fraud and it’s so sad, because they were supposed to be the leader of tomorrow where are the people that did 419 then?
I mean the popular 419, they will make the money for some period, haste the money anyhow at the end of the day will have nothing to fall back on, and they will start begging, they’ve lost it, so we need to let them know, and of course the drug dealings you will see some parent spent their earned money on kids to come back home and become addict, they lose their memory they lose their compulsion and lose everything, all the money the parent has spent on them become waste so all of these we sum up together within me I have been thinking, how I can go about it I’ve been going from one school to the other,
I’ve been mentoring the younger ones, tutoring them. But I want to take a step further and few things happen early this year, when the Assistant Inspector General of Police of Zone 2 command called all the head of department and charged us that this year, we should bring to the table what will advance the work of policing the zone and that had us to go back to our various department and come up with something that would bring about the advancement then I taught about it that I have so many youth following me on social media, a lot of the aspires to meet me and greet me, exited about me and all that which I also want to meet them, and to relate with them, I want to add value to them, if I see them it’s hot going to be about picture about shaking hands, about laughing, but adding value to their lives so I said how am I going to do it?
So I said why can’t I preach to them against all these social vices and also I remembered that a lot of youth, even adult have been easily suaved by the entertainment , you want to listen to music you want to watch movies, and I said if this is what they like, rather than just call them unto a place we shout, we lecture and go, let me bring entertainment to come and meet them, and the entertainment is such a way that we’ll cut across, bringing some musician, actors and make it like a concert and we’ll bring guest speakers, younger ones that are doing it rightly and moving forward, and they are pride to us, and we’ve been able to reach out FBI, because of this internet fraudsters, they are also doing a lot in the U.S.A, we are bringing all of them to come and speak to them on the outcome of people that engage or that have engaged in this act. So when I told my boss about the idea, he welcomed it and gave us his full support.
What were the criteria’s you used in selecting the ambassadors, or you call the change Agents?
Yes the criteria is we have to look deep in getting the entertainer, we need to bring people that are role model, not the one that people will doubt, we do screening, I’m not condemning anyone, but it has to do with little kids, so e should get them role models.
If you are not in Police force, what other would you have love to do for a living,
I want you to differentiate between Dolapo the Police Officer and normal being Dolapo?
There is no different between the two Dolapos, I brought my entire being into the police force, and I did not allow my post or my office to change who I am, so I remain that Dolapo people know, whether in the uniform or out of the uniform, this is the way I was brought up, I grew up in a compound that is very accommodating, we don’t normally look down on anyone, our parent taught us how to love, we have moment we have our food been cooked, and children from another compound strolled in and you have no choice than to share, even though as little kid,
you feel so annoyed, that your mother is sharing your food that is not even enough, I give it to my parent, we lived in atmosphere of love and we were trained never to look down on anyone, and I want to say in my growing up, I don’t see any post as a big deal, I grown up seen my father occupying positions, he has represented his people in house of assembly, he was a local chairman, and all of that did not change him, so I think I got that from my parent, and my been in the force would not change who I am, rather, I would use it to help my office. And unto the other question, I would have been a nurse or medical doctor because I love taking care of people.
What were the challenges you’ve experienced since you joined the police force up till this moment?
I do say to people, that challenge are nothing but a bus-stop in Ibadan, for every challenge I see I want to make the best out of it, remember without examination, there will be no promotion, so I see every challenge as examination, and I work and pray hard to overcome it, if you are seeing anything that is challenging you, you will break down and never get up, but if you take it as examination and you are so sure it’s going to lead to promotion, then you will combat it with every strength in you. I have been in the police force for long, and I won’t say there is no challenge, in fact there are challenges, but I’ve been able to surmount it because of my mindset, and the mindset is, it’s an examination that will lead to promotion with hard work.
As one of the voices to reckon with, what can you say is the state of security in Nigeria?
Well, I want to limit whatever I want to say to Lagos and Ogun State where I cover, off course you will agree with me that Lagos and Ogun is relatively peaceful, we’ve done a lot of hard work to achieve that, coupled with lots of dedication from our men, we are like a manual car policemen, we don’t rest, we change from gear 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 and 5 thereabout, and that has really brings about the success story, you witnessed last year,
lots of kidnapping stories, and when the AIG Adamu Ibrahim came on board there is one thing he said, “I with my men will bring this to an end” and you can bear me witness, it has actually come to an end, when last have you heard about armed robbery within Lagos and Ogun, and what is that telling you?, that our men are really working and we also need the support of the masses, we need more information, and I always tell people, “don’t give information to any policeman you see on the road side, locate a divisional crime officer, locate the area commander and off course the PPRO and your information would be use, and you yourself will be secured.
What message do you have for the youths out there ahead of the forthcoming concert?
The Entertainment meet Security is meant for us all, I want every youth to key into it, the attendance is free, everyone is expected to be there, my hope and aspiration is to see our youth turn out good, we have no other nation than Nigeria with great people, wherever you go, when you are in your country, you always have the sense of belonging, and it is on this that I think we have no other choice than to start mentoring the younger ones, the future generation, and I’m glad my boss is also giving me all the support needed to achieve this,
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