Dolapo Badmos, Unswerving allegiance to selfless service
DOLAPO BADMOS is the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) responsible for Zone Two Command. Zone Two Command covers Lagos State and Ogun State. In her capacity, she maintains the balance between the police and the public. It hasn’t been rosy all the way however, her challenges have become stepping stones to greatness. She shares with KEMI AJUMOBI on her duties, her desire for the Nigerian Police Force, family and more. Excerpts.
Where it all began
My growing up was like the normal community setting. We grew up in a community where one’s child is another’s child. I think it has helped to shape us because you don’t need to see your parents before you behave well. I think those communities helped us because we lived a communal life, it helped create a kind of competition among your age group because you don’t want to lag behind because you can always get someone that you would be compared to, and I think it actually helped us. It shaped us because you want to be the best among your peers and as such become a reference point in every home. That’s what helped our parents to be on their toes in ensuring we turn out good. I grew up in a modest home, we grew up not really rich, but at least, we could get what we wanted. We also grew up in an environment where we were trained that what you can’t get now, you don’t need it, and what you can get is what you actually need. It has really shaped us and made us fit into today’s society. Most of those communal values are lost right now that is why you see kids misbehaving and no one seems to be interested.
When and why did you decide to join the police?
Like I say all the time, my uncle forced me to join the police; I never wanted to be a police officer. But while growing up, there was one attribute that most of my friends tend to remind me of right now. While we were growing up, I used to protect my peers against bullies. You know you will always have the ‘stronger girls’ against the ‘weaker ones’. But I’ve always been the in fore front of defending and ensuring that no one is punished unjustly, and I’ll also say I don’t like to see anyone go through pain or suffering. I thought saving lives was only the function of doctors, interestingly; we save and protect lives too. I have come to realize that this is my calling. I think I am fulfilling my own calling in the police because if what my friends are reminding me of now is what I have been doing, then I think I’m called for this, and I’m achieving it. I don’t regret it, and if there is another world, I’d still want to be a police officer.
Working in an environment like Lagos with diverse kind of challenges
Just like you will ask a sitting governor ‘how do you cope being the governor of Lagos?’ and they will tell you it’s been interesting is also how you will ask an average police officer how it feels to be a police officer in Lagos where you have all manner of people. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state, in other words, it will be more challenging to be a police officer here, and for the fact that everyone wants to be in Lagos right now, it’s really challenging. I really salute the police officers working in Lagos, because you can see that Lagos is relatively peaceful. To achieve this, you know the officers are not sleeping. As a police officer in Lagos you face too much of complaints to deal with. Members of the public are complaining about the police, the police are also complaining about them. We need to strike a balance to ensure that we coexist peacefully. So, it’s challenging.
Delay in your promotion, was it biased?
There are three things that drive me as a police officer. One is passion for the job, the second thing is dedication to duty, and the third is the love for the country where patriotism now comes in because most times, even being a police officer alone is challenging. If you don’t have these three, you can’t get in because in Nigeria, you are defending the citizens against criminals; the criminals are targeting you while the citizens are not appreciating what you are doing. So it’s tasking and it’s frustrating. But if you have these things I have mentioned, it will keep you going.
Now let’s bring it back to the job itself. Let’s start with the welfare package and the take-home pay. Along the line, our policemen are trying to rescue lives and they get killed in the process and their families are left with nothing. What can be compared to that? Nothing! That’s why I’d say even if you pay five hundred thousand to a Constable, it does not match up to the risk that the job entails.
The issue of promotion, if the promotion is not coming, that does not deter you from doing what you are doing. So keep on at it. It’s not about being a woman alone, but because we are in a male dominated organisation, most times, women seem to be at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, what I tell young women out there is that, in any organisation you find yourself, strive to show the quality you’re made of because your quality and your ability will give chance to you. Strive to make yourself known for positivity. There might be challenges, but you should be able to prove a point that you can surmount the challenges and that you can be whatever you want to be.
In your years of service, what can you say you are genuinely grateful for?
I am grateful to God for everything. It’s just 16 years for me in the job and it’s been 16 years of series of challenges. Immediately I joined the Nigerian police force, my life shifted from being my normal self to a life of selfless service. So far, I’m grateful to God for his support and because I’ve not failed and I’ve not faltered.
What is the truth about EndSARS, and what would you like people to know?
Let me say that people are permitted to agitate, people are allowed to bare their minds, but while doing all of that, they must be guided. If I ask you, ‘when last have you heard about bank robbery in Lagos?’ You’d say ‘it’s been a long time’. When you talk about the kidnapping that ravaged Lagos two years ago up to early last year and it suddenly disappeared. You think all of these happened because of a miracle? We have boys sleeping in the bush; we have boys moving around every time to ensure that these bad boys do not penetrate. So who are the boys doing all of these? It’s these boys that you call SARS. So when you are saying, end it, it means that we should take these boys away. Mind you, criminals are also propelling for SARS to be eradicated because these SARS boys are being a blockade to them.
We are not saying our men are not misbehaving, but I stand to be corrected, there is no organization in Nigeria, especially security organisations that bring its members to accountability like the Nigerian Police Force. If you misbehave, there are spelt out disciplinary measures to be taken –some dismissal, some reduction in ranks. Not that the police is not doing anything but when people want to press on their point, they bombard social media, some will even take pictures of an incident that happened three years ago and put it online.
Nowadays, before I talk about any SARS matter, you must have posted your picture with evidences, if you don’t post it with evidences, then I’ll treat it as one of those fake videos. So these are the things that are happening, but above it all, we’ve been able to partner with the Korede Bello Initiative, Segun Awosanya who is the spearhead of EndSARS, and as the Nigerian Police Force, we used youth day to have a round-table, and we have been able to sell to them that we can’t end SARS because the criminals will take over. We are able to have a communiqué which has been released. We’ll get better, it’s a gradual process. SARS is a very good outfit.
Is there a constant reorientation of the mindset of police officers? Are they well remunerated?
If you are well remunerated, and everything is being well taken care of, and you have the vehicles that you should work with in good condition, you will go with a sense of pride and wouldn’t want to beg anybody for anything. If you see men doing that, what does that indicate? I want to say that the members of the public should really help talk to stakeholders to really look deep into security. It’s not about the police alone, because a nation that neglects security organization is going for a tough moment. But if they look for vehicles to use, or need fuel and there is none available, if they don’t get all of this it becomes tough. So where do you get all of these? Because nobody wants to listen to excuses, you must make it happen, and how do you do that? It’s either they go begging, or they go harassing. This is the bitter truth we must tell ourselves.
So if we can have what the Lagos State Security Trust Fund is doing at the federal level, we will relieve the government of the needed funds, and then you can demand for accountability. Look at what is happening with RRS; everyone wants to join them because they are well taken care of Another one is to control their psyche; some police officers are so full of pride that no matter what, they will never beg. But it is very tough to control their psyche, when the funding is absent.
How would you summarize your duties in Lagos State?
I’m PPRO for Zone Two Command. Zone Two Command covers Lagos State and Ogun State. As a public relations officer, I am a bridge builder between the members of the public and the Nigerian Police Force. I take the fillers of my office to the public and I bring the news of the public back to the organisation. I maintain balance between the two, that’s basically my duty.
Most people don’t look at what I say objectively, they just think I’m defending the police, that’s not me. The duty of a public relations officer, and as a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, basically is beyond defending your organisation. You only defend your organisation when it becomes necessary, but you also need to strike a balance between the public and the organisation you work for. That’s what I’ve been doing.
What future do you see for the Nigerian Police?
I see a beautiful future. I see that someday, the Police will conform with international standards of policing; that the police’s welfare would be paramount to each and every one within the country. And I see that one day; people will say “oh, have you checked out our police?” That’s the Nigerian police of our dream. But all of this will not happen without people trusting their police and the police delivering to the members of the public what is expected. Also, in the same spirit, I think we should do more of community policing to ensure that you can walk freely to me as a police officer, you talk to me, you don’t have anything to hide, and you don’t have anything to fear. I can relate with you as a member of the public, if for instance, a DPO approaches you, and you are a community leader, you should be able to tell the DPO the best way of policing your environment and have that safer environment that you desire. It’s not about state policing, or local government policing, it’s about trust and partnership.
To anyone who has a complaint or issues with the police, what do you advise they do?
What I tell people is that when you are in an area, get into the station and introduce yourself. What I’ve been able to do with my office is to break the barrier that police are not approachable or fashionable. I’ve been able to tell the whole world that I can be a police officer and be fashionable and enjoy my social life, and people can still approach me. So now I hear people say police are sociable, and even now the police officers are now getting to be social.
To relate this with the police, start with your community; get to know the DPO, and the officers in your area. If everyone can do that, then we will all have access to the officer manning our area because every police you see in your division is your own, they were created there for you.
How are you managing Lagos and Ogun States?
When my attention is needed in Ogun State I will go there. Most times twice a week. It’s my duty, I’m dedicated to it, and I see it as building me up for the future.
Family and work life
It’s tough. But I have a fantastic husband, very supportive. My kids are wonderful. They know when I’m not around it’s because mummy is busy. The only thing is that, that free moment I have, I dedicate it to them.
Last words
I want people to know that security is everyone’s business. Inasmuch as you would not leave your door open when you want to sleep then it means you are security conscious. So you extend that to your community, then it will go in extension to Nigeria as a whole. So be security conscious. When you see something, you say something, and let’s see if our country will get better for it.