A former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, has shared a startling personal experience from his tenure as Commissioner of Police (CP), Lagos State Command, revealing how he was once arrested by junior officers who failed to recognize him.
Speaking at a recent public engagement on police professionalism and leadership, Abubakar recounted the event as one of the most shocking, yet eye-opening, experiences of his policing career, underscoring the urgent need for discipline, accountability, and retraining within the Nigeria Police Force.
The day the CP was arrested
According to Abubakar, the incident occurred during one of his unannounced inspections in Lagos while serving as Commissioner of Police.
On that particular Saturday, he said he decided to leave home early, around 6 a.m, instead of his usual 10 a.m. reporting time, to assess the conduct of police officers on duty across the city.
He explained that while driving along Herbert Macaulay Road, Yaba, he encountered a team of young police officers at a checkpoint. The officers flagged down his official vehicle without recognizing him.
“One young constable looked at me and said, ‘Young man, where are you going with your father’s car?’ He demanded my vehicle documents and driver’s licence,” Abubakar recalled.
When asked to identify himself, the former police boss said he simply told the officer his name was Mohammed. The constable insisted he must produce an ID card, to which Abubakar responded that the officer should first show his own ID.
The young officer had none and quickly called for his superior, a sergeant. “The sergeant repeated the same demand. I told him to first show me his ID card. When they saw I was not intimidated, they decided we should go to the station,” Abubakar narrated.
Taken to Yaba Police Station
At the Yaba (Panti) Police Station, Abubakar said he parked in the space reserved for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
This act infuriated the constable, who shouted that it was the DPO’s parking space. The officers then took him to meet an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who, shockingly, was dressed in casual shorts.
“I refused to enter his office because he was in home wear. I told him it was unprofessional to interrogate me like that,” he said.
The ASP became agitated and forcefully pulled him into the office — prompting Abubakar to pull him back in self-defence. “When he looked at my face closely, he froze.
Then someone went to the DPO’s office and checked the photographs of senior officers on the wall. When he confirmed I was the Commissioner of Police, he screamed and ran out through the window!”
Chaos at the station
According to Abubakar, the realization caused panic throughout the station. The sergeant who brought him in was dumbfounded, while the ASP, realizing his blunder, also jumped out of the window in fear.
“The Area Commander later called me, asking what had happened. By then, the DPO, ASP, and the officers involved had been detained, awaiting my decision,” Abubakar said.
A lesson in police leadership
Reflecting on the incident, Abubakar said the experience exposed deep-rooted issues of indiscipline, poor training, and lack of professionalism among some police personnel.
“What upset me was not the arrest itself, but the conduct of those officers stopping people without proper identification, and an ASP sitting in casual clothes while on duty. It was a sign of deep moral decay,” he emphasized.
He concluded by saying the episode reinforced his belief that effective leadership in law enforcement cannot be achieved from behind a desk:
“Leadership is not about sitting in an office. You must go out, see for yourself, and ensure truth and justice are upheld at every level.”
Background:
Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar served as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State before his appointment as Inspector-General of Police in January 2012.
He is widely recognized for initiating major reforms during his tenure, particularly on community policing, internal discipline, and the fight against police corruption.
