Kayode Egbetokun, acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), says he is feeling like a lion that is ready to devour Nigeria’s enemies.
He said this shortly after Vice-President Kashim Shettima decorated him in presence of his wife, Mrs Egbetokun, at a brief ceremony which took place at Vice President’s Conference Hall earlier today.
The ceremony was attended by the outgoing IGP, Usman Alkali Baba; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume; and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who doubles as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
Egbetokun, a former Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South West, was appointed on Monday to replace Baba.
Fielding questions from State House reporters after the ceremony, the acting IGP expressed his preparedness to crush all criminals and enemies of Nigeria.
When asked about the kind of weight the new responsibility had on him, he said, ” Now I have just been decorated and I am looking forward to taking over tomorrow morning by 11 am. I really can’t describe how I feel presently, but if I have to tell you anything, I will tell you that right now, I feel like Tiger inside of me ready to chase away all the criminals in Nigeria. And some other time, I feel like a lion in me ready to devour all the internal enemies of Nigeria. That’s my feeling right now.”
While speaking, his predecessor said he had handed over to a capable personality who would continue from where he stopped.
Baba, while reacting to a question on the significance of passing the task to his successor, said: “It is a stage, you come, you work, and you go. I’m happy I am handing over to somebody I know will carry the mantle of leadership from where I have stopped.”
Asked how much he knew about Egbetokun, the outgoing IGP said: “We grew up in the job, we grew up together, I was his boss at a time or even when I was IG. He worked under me twice, we’ve been working together and I know how he can go ahead to champion the course of the police from where I have stopped.”
