By Editor
Literarily speaking, Mr. Ishola Olanrewaju Olawale is not re-inventing the wheel in policing as the incumbent Commissioner of Police in charge of Lagos State but evidence abounds that since he was appointed the 40th Commissioner of Police on September 17, 2024 to take charge of the State, certain steps already taken clearly indicate that he has come to serve with some Midas touch. Obviously building on the foundation laid by his predecessors, the ‘new commissioner’ is adding some dynamism to policing in the State.
Soon on assumption of office, he clearly stated where he was headed as he took time to tell journalists at his inaugural media briefing, during which he paraded 98 suspected criminals that he intended to partner road transport unions to tackle “one-chance” robberies in the state, emphasizing a proactive approach to dismantling criminal networks across the state. He made it clear that to ensure public safety, all commercial buses in Lagos State would be tagged and easily identifiable, so that passengers would know exactly which bus they are boarding at any time. “Whoever enters a bus must know the bus they are boarding,” he said, highlighting the importance of this initiative in ensuring public safety. Though the initiative has not been fully implemented, yet there are proactive steps towards achieving same.
Obviously walking his talk, CP Ishola had hit the ground running within a few days of assumption of office as the Police boss in Lagos. Under his watch, several policing operations had taken place and these resulted in the arrest of suspects involved in various crimes, including armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, and drug trafficking. Significant seizures were made, including weapons, narcotics, stolen goods, firearms, ammunition, $402 in cash, and 39 bags of stolen rice. The effort so far is a confirmation of his promise to be “fair and firm” in his handling of the state police command.
While taking over from his immediate predecessor, Fayoade Adegoke who is currently the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Ishola had declared that “It is with great joy and sense of purpose, that I stand before you this morning to accept the mantle of leadership of the Lagos Police Command” adding that “Lagos is a centre of excellence” where stakes are very high. He however assured that the prevailing challenges were surmountable.
Having served in several police formations over the years, CP Ishola is obviously at home with policing in Lagos and this, he acknowledged much while taking over from Adegoke when he said, “to the good people of Lagos, I am one of you. I live here, I work here. So, it is beyond official assignment, it becomes personal, because I’m a stakeholder in larger Lagos. “And I promise you, the Nigerian Police in Lagos has done well, it’s only going to get better. My predecessor, my boss has told me all I need to know. So to me, it’s a marching order. “And because of what Lagos is, and my professional experience in Lagos, the span of about two decades, I’m sure the job shall be done and the name of God shall be glorified. The good people of Lagos should expect nothing but excellence.” He emphasized; “I shall be fair to all, but I’ll be firm. And by the grace of the Almighty God, Lagos shall continue to be a model of policing, not only for Nigeria, but for the world in general.”
Commissioner of Police Ishola Olanrewaju Olawale’s promise cannot be taken as a pedestrian statement but rightly from a time tested cerebral and operational officer whose records in the Nigeria Police Force remain sterling. He had enlisted in the Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1992 after undergoing through the pre-enlistment training at Nigeria’s prestigious Police Academy, Wudil Kano. Prior to his enlistment in the police, he had studied Geography at the University of Ibadan and graduated with a Bachelors of Science (BSc) degree.
Since his enlistment in the Nigeria Police Force, he had attended several professional trainings and educational pursuits. He was at the University of Ibadan for a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Urban and Regional Planning. He participated in Strategic Leadership and Command Course, at the National Institute of Police Studies, Abuja. He has also attended Tactical Leadership and Command Course, Police Staff College Jos. He has served in numerous key positions, both in operational and administrative capacities, where he ensured law and order in some of the most challenging environments.
Between January 1996 and July 2002 he was in the 20 PMF (Police Mobile Force) Ikeja as Unit commander and second-in-charge (2i/c) as Squadron commander. from August 2002 to July 2005. He was second in charge (2i/c) as Squadron Commander at 23 PMF Lagos. Due to his cerebral nature and erudition, he was posted to several police training institutions beginning with Detective College, Enugu where he served in 2011. In 2013, he taught at the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano and from 2019 to 2021, he was at the Police Staff College, Jos, Plateau State.
Operationally, he had headed police divisions across some states of the Federation. At a time, he was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Sabongida Ora in Edo State, later deployed to Igueben Division as the DPO before he was posted to Igbeba Division in Ogun State as the DPO. He also served as the DPO at Ibara Division in Ogun State. Aptly described in some quarters as a serial and veteran Divisional Police Officer while serving in Lagos, Ishola at different times was the DPO of no fewer than seven divisions in Lagos State which is considered one of the most volatile states in terms of policing. These Divisions included Gowon Estate, Ibeju Lekki Elemoro, Ajah, Trinity, Apapa, Ajao Estate and Mushin.
His operational astuteness over the years has also ensured his posting as Area Commander in charge of Edo North, Auchi in Edo State at a time and later Area Commander (Area ‘L’) Ilashe, Lagos. This also made it possible for him to be in charge of Operational activities at Zone 2 Headquarters soon as he was elevated to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). On his promotion to the rank of Commissioner of Police, he was posted to take charge of Port Authority Police Command, Western Port, Lagos before he was redeployed to take charge of the Lagos State Police Command.
Married and blessed with children, Ishola’s experience in Lagos obviously spans decades, during which he successfully handled high-stakes situations such as the OPC Idi Araba and Abule Egba crises, where he established himself as a tactical leader with a deep understanding of Lagos’ unique security landscape. He is therefore in a familiar terrain with a belief that he would surpass the average Lagosian’s expectation with respect to people’s oriented policing.
