Oba Emmanuel Adebayo, the former commissioner of police in Lagos State, retired to ascend the throne of his forebears as the Elemure of Emure Ekiti six years ago. He shares his experiences in this interview with ADEOLA BALOGUN
Having been a very busy Commissioner of Police in many states including Lagos, is settling down in a place like this not boring?
It’s not really boring. As a former CP, one was actively involved in governance. We were involved in the day to day running of governance in the country on security, not necessarily in states where one was covering but the whole country. Yes, one was actively involved in managing large number of personnel, managing crisis, security and welfare. That is a larger scope compared with my kingdom which is a smaller community. I must say that it’s much easier here especially when one is conversant with customs and tradition of one’s area. There is sharing of responsibility at play here and I have 75 chiefs that are assisting with responsibilities in various areas, villages, quarters and farm stead. If there is any problem anywhere, they could easily tackle them and then report back to me. One only comes in where it’s obvious that things are getting out of hands. While in service, one had gained experience in leadership and management. The challenges are everywhere and they vary from one period to another. The fact that I had challenges while I was in service does not mean that I will not have challenges here.
Apart from the obaship, what was your plan for life after retirement?
My plan was to come back home; I love my home place. There is a love bond in my family which I cherish so much. Then, I love my community and was always in touch even while in service. As someone who had enjoyed love in his home environment, I said that once I retired, it was home.
Did the obaship issue come to you as a shock then?
It couldn’t have come as a shock especially for someone like me that is from the royal family. To be a king or occupy a position in life is divine. One way or the other, God will pave way for you to get there. There are people who also would love to be there but could not because it was not part of God’s plan for their lives. Coming home was just my desire after retirement before the issue of Obaship came up. For anyone who lives outside his community and does not come back, he is like describing the analogy of animals and human beings. While the animals may not bother to come back again, human beings would, no matter what happens. That makes us different from animals. It is also important that any grown up person that is age 60 and above should come nearer home; younger ones would want to know you and want to tap from your experience to build their own lives.
How was it initially settling down here as king?
There was no problem as such. One thing about my own appointment was that the selection process went on smoothly and all the kingmakers endorsed my appointment and there was jubilation. There was pressure on me to even accept to be the king before I was finally convinced after prayers and consultations. All those that we contested together embraced peace after the whole process and the installation in 2007 was very colourful with an unprecedented crowd. I am also glad to announce that this community has witnessed positive change and development since I ascended the throne.
As you said, people would want to tap from your experience; if they asked you why you joined the police, what would you tell them?
When I left secondary school in 1967, I looked for job everywhere. I tried to go to customs, it was not through; I tried immigration, the same story. Even that time, I tried to go to the Railways but it did not work out. I was encouraged by someone who was in police service then, the late Chief Bola Adefemi; he retired as a Deputy Commissioner of Police. My own aunty was his wife and they encouraged me to try police force. But I must say that police force then was not my best choice; I would rather love to go and work in the bank. I became a cadet inspector on April 1, 1973; in fact before I went for training, when I told my parents that I wanted to join the police, they said okay, go and do it for sometime and then look for a better job. I always say jokingly that I was still looking for a better job until I did it for 35 years. Probably this throne is the better job. That’s how it came but it was a very nice experience. I served at almost everywhere in the country. I served in former Benue, Plateau State, Bauchi, Kwara, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Abuja, Edo, Nassarawa and in different capacities. One thing about the uniformed service is discipline and physical fitness. There are always activities to keep the bone and the mind healthy. I really enjoyed the service and I think that has also helped my physical being. If I say I am approaching 70 now, some people would not believe me. The service also makes you have a wider world view and the opportunity to interact with different peoples of the world.
Before you became a commissioner of police, what would you mention as the most challenging aspect of your career in service?
There are challenges all through as a policeman from day one. The greatest aspect of the service is your life because as a police officer, you must have seen colleagues killed in the field or even trying to save lives. I would say that I had the closest shave with death towards my retirement in Nassarawa where protesters blocked the road and wanted to burn the entire police station where I was at that time. But with God intervention, nothing happened to us; we didn’t even fire a shot and no policeman was killed. But it could just have happened; that was most challenging in all my 35 years in service.
As CP in Lagos, how would you describe your experience?
Let me say something about Lagos, it is the economic nerve centre of Nigeria. Lagos provides the greatest opportunity for anyone looking for his daily bread and so, the influx of people into the state daily can be very challenging for any commissioner of police. As good people are coming, criminals too are coming and you are going to manage all those. During the time I was there as CP together with my boss, Mr. Mike Okiro, that was the time of the Oodua People’s Congress crisis. Crowd management in Lagos could be very challenging because some people run simply because they see others run and they get into trouble. When you ask them why they were arrested, they would say, we saw people running and we ran. But we were able to manage the situation and crime. Government in Lagos has always been very supportive of the police force. One has to be very intelligent and accommodating to be able to deal with all issues arising. I must say this; whatever happens in Lagos affects the rest of the country. Once we still have peace in Lagos, Nigeria is peaceful. For those coming into the country, Lagos is the window or if you like, gateway. I was in Lagos twice; as Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations and later Commissioner of police. I enjoyed the cooperation of my officers and men and the government of the state. It was during our time that the Officer’s Mess was built at the GRA. The challenges vary from time to time; the number of personnel we were using to police Lagos is not as much as what they are using now. Yet the challenges are enormous. The IGP now, we were together in Lagos, we used to carry our guns to go on patrol at night and I am sure he is used to that now. Lagos is really a testing ground for a tough and winning police officer.
How does the personality of the CP affect crime statistics in a state?
When you talk of crime rate, the assessment is not just based on the apex control of the police force. There are stakeholders; the police have specific role to play, no doubt. Government at all levels have their own roles, so are members of the public. The CP controls both human and material resources and the leadership under his control shows the example he is giving. His own training and discipline will go in a long way too to help. Then for government, provision of equipment and welfare of the men of the force is very important too. Then, come to the community itself; it is not helpful when members of the community turn blind eye to perpetrators of crimes. Abroad, citizens call when they notice anything and it is not necessary to mention their names. So, when we want to do the assessment, these are what should be considered. The population of Lagos is one of the problems that will make management of crimes to be difficult. But Lagos State has tried over the years to take care of the buffer force, the Rapid Response Squad, so effectively that other states have started copying it. In Ekiti here, the government is doing something like that. There is no amount of money voted for security that is too much. We have been outside this country and have seen the equipment and tools the police display. In a street of about three kilometres in New Orleans, for example, you would see about 10 vehicles patrolling the area. The issue of crime control is that the security authorities must be faster than the criminals, even in preparation and action. If 10 armed robbers operate in 50 places with a population of over one million, there will be outrage.
You mentioned the OPC just now, were you calling their leaders for discussions; did you recognise them officially?
They have leaders; there is nobody who will say he doesn’t know Gani Adams or Dr Faseun. The issue is that these are known leaders who also remained convinced by their beliefs and aspirations. But you have very large number of unknown faces, how do you deal with crowd? It could be very challenging as law officers but we were still discussing and we were not taking them as enemies. We were trying to solve problems in the society. We have other similar groups in the other parts of the country like the Egbesu, Arewa, Bakassi and so on. Lawlessness can never be tolerated by government or security agents but the problem always with government is that when something is still at the formative stage, the person who is supposed to nip such in the bud does not perform his duty. We tried to look at their agitation and thank God, we managed everybody.
Because of the size of Lagos, some people have argued that the command should be split into two. As a former CP, do you share the view that Lagos should have two CPs?
By constitution, every state is entitled to a governor and a Commissioner of Police. Lagos is not broken into two, so there is no need for that. There could be assistants; for example, by the time I was there, the number of area commands was increased. I think it got to area H when I was there. You can create room for effective administration and effectiveness. There are states that have just two or three area commands like Ekiti State. I think what we should consider more is responsibility, equipment and welfare.
It is said that for one to be posted to Lagos as CP, he must be well connected; is it true?
I think I must be able to say this without any fear of contradiction, I never lobbied for any posting. I’m still in the know that anyone at the helms of affairs will want to make use of his best materials. There is no way you can be posted to a very challenging place if you didn’t do well in your last posting. Look at my posting; it was always like, let’s look for a competent’ person. I was in Benin for just nine months and it was already quiet before they told me suddenly that I must leave for Abuja. In fact, before moving to Benin, I was at Federal SAS in Adeniji Adele. Your movement depends on how you can handle situations. But Lagos is a sensitive place; you cannot just put somebody you know can not perform. I am not trying to boast, but what I am saying is that Lagos is a place that deserves a round peg in a round hole, just like Abuja.
When you joined the police, did you ever dream of becoming the inspector general of the force?
There was nothing like that. In fact, with what my parents even told me when I told them that I wanted to join, they said I should do it for sometime and look for better thing after, so there was nothing like that. Again, there are two things that one has to be very careful about in any career; the issue of making money and being over-ambitious. Anyone with such a mindset will easily run into trouble. When I was there, I was interested in learning and working and that is why some people would see me as a workaholic. I didn’t join the police as a graduate, so why should I think I would rise far and above those that I met there as graduates? But I know that when somebody is working, you expect a reward. Becoming the IG would have been the greatest reward but generally, the highest position of appointment in the police is the Commissioner of Police. But when it comes to the higher ranks, apart from working hard, there are other factors put in consideration.
There was a time this local government was in the news as communities that were unable to live together in peace. What was the matter?
It’s not only here, it happens everywhere. You want emancipation, you want identity and you also want to ensure your rights. That agitation has brought development to us and we now live together in peace. We have the opportunity of developing our area as a people but we are better neighbours now.
Recently too, it was reported that some youths in the community became angry and attacked you and the palace because of what they perceived as violent deaths of youths in the community.
Let me tell you something about this position, you are responsible for everything. When a man cannot give money to his wife, it’s the oba. It’s very interesting. People look up to you to be able to provide everything. When people want to accuse you, they must say something because there is no way you can satisfy everybody. This community knows me that I trust God in everything. Even when I was in the service, I took much time to pray. If somebody has been involved in an accident which occurred when I was not there, there is no way they could say that I caused it. I think such belief is borne out of past practices such as consulting Ifa for anything that happened to them. That was the major problem.
Probably you didn’t cooperate with them on that?
It’s what you know that you do. If I don’t know how to do it that way, I will only do it the way I know. These beliefs are all over but they didn’t know everything that I do for peace in my community, for progress, for development. They don’t know what efforts I make to lift the community and I don’t blame them. If somebody is over speeding and loses control in an accident, they would want to blame the oba for that. But after the February incident, we have put bumps at some areas to control over-speeding. The main thing we need is new orientation that times are changing.
Is Kabiyesi not under pressure to have more wives in the palace as it is the tradition?
There is no room for more wives. Such a thing was useful in those days when you needed a large family for farm work and show of wealth. I am not thinking of another wife; it is not necessary. It is an old fashioned tradition and that is why we abandon responsibility in Africa. You see somebody who can not take care of more than one wife and two children, he goes ahead to have three wives and plenty children who he can not provide for. Nowadays, kabiyesis don’t have more than one wife because of the enormous responsibilities they shoulder. By tradition, if anyone enters the palace now and says he is hungry, we must feed him. It is like we go to God to ask for everything. I still pay school fees of children that are not my biological children. I still pay hospital bills; I still pay transport fees for those who want to go for exams and interviews.
Would you say you are proud to be a police man?
Yes I am; it is a life-saving career. That is the job I did for 35 years and from day one till I left, I enjoyed the job notwithstanding the challenges. Everybody in the whole world depends on the police for protection and I am proud to have belonged to that force.