By Florencemary Nwabueze

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, Olorundare Jimoh, decorated 10 newly promoted officers: 4 Assistant Commissioners of Police promoted to Deputy Commissioners, 5 Chief Superintendents promoted to Assistant Commissioners, and 1 Assistant Superintendent, a Medical Practitioner, promoted to Superintendent of Police in line with Police Service Commission regulations, on Thursday, charging them to take their duties seriously.

The newly promoted officers from Lagos and Ogun State Commands include: DCP Deborah Omoruan Benard, DCP Ayim Doghudje Mary, DCP Jaiyeoba Idowu Joseph, DCP Lot Garba Lantoh, ACP Gafar Ajayi Adeyanju, ACP Ajoke Risikat Akande, ACP Olanrewaju Victor Kalejaiye, ACP Ellah Jeffrey, ACP Chukwu Thomas, and SP Okusi Abimbola.

Addressing the officers before their decoration, AIG Jimoh emphasized that promotion comes with greater responsibilities and challenges. He noted that the Police Service Commission has established a body of examiners to conduct interviews and set questions for all promotes, eliminating what he described as "home delivery" promotions of the past.
"This promotion is a hard-earned achievement for all the officers that have been promoted. I want to, on behalf of the entire officers and men of the two headquarters thank the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, and the Police Service Commission for finding these officers worthy of this promotion."

In a separate development same day, AIG Jimoh received PPUGI award, charges officers to prioritize mental health

AIG Olorundare Jimoh, was honored with the prestigious Peace, Progress and Unity Global Initiative (PPUGI) award during which he charged police officers to pay greater attention to their mental health and well-being.

The award presentation took place at the Force Headquarters Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, where the PPUGI delegation paid a courtesy visit to the AIG. The organization, funded by its Global President, Mrs. Farida Olayinka, used the occasion to highlight its campaign addressing mental health challenges among men, particularly those in law enforcement.

Mrs. Olayinka; who presented the award praised AIG Jimoh's exceptional leadership qualities and the dedication of police officers across Nigeria. She emphasized the often-overlooked sacrifices made by police officers, noting that they give up their time with family, personal peace, and well-being to ensure public safety.
"A lot of people take it for granted on a daily basis. But we stand out among that alot of people to say we appreciate, we celebrate, and we are grateful for the good work that you are doing." She said

Mrs. Olayinka, who described herself as one of only two women worldwide advocating for men's mental health, revealed that 2026 marks her seventh year of advocacy to promotion of men's mental health awareness.
"If a man is mentally sane, if a man is mentally all right, he attends to the situation around him with peace. So, a man who lacks peace is a man that can always and will always be cruel to others around him." She said

The organization presented AIG Jimoh with its symbolic emblem featuring a globe and eagle, representing the need for leaders to soar high like eagles. Each officer received a personalized message reading: "Dear officer, you are important. You are strong enough to serve, brave enough to speak, and backed enough to heal. Protecting others starts with protecting your mind. Remember, you're first human before being an officer. You matter, and you are important."

An emotional AIG Jimoh expressed his gratitude and stressed the importance of mental health for officers, acknowledging the unique pressures of police work. He praised the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, for re-engineering police hospitals across the country to improve medical services for officers, noting a significant reduction in deaths while on duty.
"A dead man cannot be a police officer. You have to take care of your health, take care of your mental health, so that you can protect people. The police, what we do, doesn't allow mistake, because your mistake can cost people's life." He said

AIG Jimoh reaffirmed the police force's commitment to maintaining a positive relationship with the public, acknowledging that constructive criticism is welcomed and acted upon.
"If there's an officer that actually falls short of what is expected, they equally criticize us. We don't feel bad about that. If somebody is pointing in a mirror that something is wrong somewhere, we take particular attention to that and we correct it."

AIG Jimoh pledged the police force's full support for the initiative, describing it as a "very rich project" that aligns with the force's community policing objectives and promised to send a comprehensive report of the event to the Inspector General of Police.