A former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, has revealed that his decision to join the Nigeria Police Force was triggered by an encounter with a police sergeant who demanded bribe from him during a journey.
Ehindero, who later rose to become the 12th indigenous Inspector General of Police, disclosed this in a piece made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abuja yesterday.
He said the incident occurred while he was travelling from Abeokuta to Ibadan when he was stopped by the police officer near Government College, Ibadan.
According to him, the sergeant discovered that his vehicle insurance certificate had expired and detained him for more than six hours.
“I did not have the amount he demanded, and he refused to release my vehicle particulars. Eventually, I was compelled to use my money to buy Star Beer and Crolla soft drink for him before my documents were returned,” he recalled.
The retired police chief said the experience left him bitter and reflective, noting that it planted the thought in his mind that the officer might not have treated him that way if he were a member of the police force.
“That encounter made me think deeply. I felt the sergeant would not have done that to me if I were a police officer,” he said.
Ehindero explained that in the same week the incident occurred, he came across a newspaper advertisement inviting members of the public to enlist in the Nigeria Police Force.
“I filled the form, attended the interview and was successful,” he said.
He disclosed that out of about 350 applicants interviewed at the time, only 25 candidates were selected for training in 1973.
While undergoing training at the Police Officers’ Mess in Ikeja, Lagos, Ehindero said he unexpectedly sighted the same sergeant who had earlier delayed him on the road.
“I was still bitter and wanted to confront him, but he disappeared,” he said.
Ehindero added that when he later shared the experience with his pastor, he was advised not to harbour resentment but to see the incident as part of God’s plan.
“My pastor told me not to be bitter but to thank the sergeant because God used him to attract me into the police,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, Ehindero said he believed divine grace guided his journey in the force, eventually leading him to the top position.
He noted that when he became Inspector General of Police in 2005, he was the only one left in service among the 25 cadets who began training with him.
“It is not by my might but by the amazing grace of God Almighty that I became Inspector General of Police and remain alive today,” he said.
Credit: Leadership