Abuja: The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) has honoured a 96-year-old retired police officer and six others as part of activities to mark 70 years of women in policing. Alhaji Mogaji Olaniyan, the National Chairman of PCRC, announced on Saturday in Abuja that the retired officer, Stella Okuyiga, was among the pioneer group of 20 women to join the Nigeria Police Force.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Olaniyan disclosed that PCRC had sent a delegation to Port Harcourt to present the award and monetary support to Okuyiga, while the other honorees received their awards in Abuja. The six other retired senior female police officers recognized for their significant contributions to national security are Aisha Shaibu, Phoebe Niyel, Patu Daniel, Mariam Daniel, Scholastica Ovie, and Aina Usman.
Olaniyan emphasized that the awards to the retired senior female police officers are part of an ongoing campaign to encourage women who served in the Nigeria Police Force. He noted that despite securing major employment opportunities for retired male senior officers during his three-year leadership, similar opportunities for women remain limited. Olaniyan stated, “We know that if we empower retired female police officers, they can do better than men. As the oldest support group of the Nigeria Police Force, we understand their capacity.”
He further explained that while PCRC is not an employment-generating organization, it is committed to driving national advocacy for the involvement of retired female officers in both government and the private sector. Olaniyan urged organizations and governments to begin providing these opportunities, highlighting that the event was the starting point of this advocacy.
The award ceremony also witnessed the gathering of chairmen from all 36 states of the federation, alongside representatives from the zonal, airport, railway, and marine chapters of the PCRC. This assembly was a demonstration of unity and a collective commitment towards advancing community policing in Nigeria.
Olaniyan pledged the PCRC’s ongoing support for the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, in achieving effective policing across the nation. He shared that the PCRC leaders have reiterated their confidence in the I-G, who has been responsive to their initiatives, including the request for one retired female officer from each geopolitical zone. “He is always listening to us because he believes so much in the community policing system,” Olaniyan concluded.