AIG Disu recalls extraordinary feats of late female police detective in glowing tribute

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Tunji Disu has paid glowing tribute to a female officer, Inspector Aderibigbe Abimbola (Bimbo) who just passed on.

Describing her as a natural detective with “a sharp instinct and a fire for justice that never went out” Disu recalled how the deceased was instrumental to his success when he was sent for the difficult job of reorganizing the Special Anti Robbery Squad in Ondo State.

He noted that Bimbo was never afraid and did not care how big or dangerous a criminal was.

“To her, the bigger they came, the bigger they fell. Where hardened men would hesitate, she stepped forward. Where others were busy calculating the risk, she was already on the move. We called her our own Iron Lady and she earned that name every single day .

‘A huge part of every success we had in Ondo State belongs to her. That is not sentiment. That is the honest truth. She was the engine that ran quietly but powered everything around her,” he said.

Disu also recalled that how the late Bimbo came to his rescue when he was transferred to Oyo State and was faced with a high profile kidnap case.

“The pressure was suffocating and we were making no progress. I did what I always did when the stakes were highest. I called Bimbo. She came. Like a well oiled machine she helped us crack that case within twenty four hours. Where everyone else saw a wall, Bimbo found a door.

“She was the kind of detective people think only exists in movies. But she was real. She bled for this job. She gave up her comfort and her rest so that others could be safer in their homes.

“Bimbo did not just close cases. She opened a path for every woman in uniform who will come after her. She proved that one person can make a difference” Disu said..

OUR OWN IRON LADY

A Tribute to Inspector Aderibigbe Abimbola (Bimbo)

When I was sent to reorganize the Special Anti Robbery Squad in Ondo State, I knew the weight of the task. SARS is not a place for the faint of heart. It is a world of shadows where we go after the most dangerous criminals in the land. It is a place that many men would never dare to step into. That was the world I was building a team for.

Then came Bimbo.

She was a natural detective. You did not have to teach her how to see what others missed. You could give Bimbo a task and go and rest because you knew in your soul that the job would be done well. She had a quiet power that you cannot find in a police academy manual. She had a sharp instinct and a fire for justice that never went out.

Bimbo was never afraid. Not once. She did not care how big or dangerous a criminal was. To her, the bigger they came, the bigger they fell. Where hardened men would hesitate, she stepped forward. Where others were busy calculating the risk, she was already on the move. We called her our own Iron Lady and she earned that name every single day .

But what breaks my heart now is remembering the woman behind the warrior. This fearless force of nature had the most wonderful smile for everyone. She could walk out of an operation that would give most people nightmares and greet you with a warmth that made you forget the darkness she had just faced. She was iron on the inside and gold on the outside.

She was the only woman on the team. Just one. But she never asked for a softer path. She worked with every unit and traveled across states. She slept in cramped cars and on hard wooden benches. She stayed out in the field for days at a time side by side with the men. She matched them stride for stride and often she was the one leading the way. She never asked for special treatment because she never needed it. She only needed the mission.

A huge part of every success we had in Ondo State belongs to her. That is not sentiment. That is the honest truth. She was the engine that ran quietly but powered everything around her.

I remember when I was transferred to Oyo State and faced with a high profile kidnap case. The pressure was suffocating and we were making no progress. I did what I always did when the stakes were highest. I called Bimbo. She came. Like a well oiled machine she helped us crack that case within twenty four hours. Where everyone else saw a wall, Bimbo found a door.

And now she is gone.

The cold hands of death have taken her and the Nigeria Police Force has lost a rare and brilliant gem. She was the kind of detective people think only exists in movies. But she was real. She bled for this job. She gave up her comfort and her rest so that others could be safer in their homes.

Bimbo did not just close cases. She opened a path for every woman in uniform who will come after her. She proved that one person can make a difference.

Rest now, Iron Lady. You slept in cars so that others could sleep in peace. You smiled at the world and feared no one. You gave your all so that justice would not sleep. The field is quieter without you. The force is lesser without you. But your legacy is louder than any siren we will ever sound. Good night Abimm!!!

#OurOwnIronLady #RestInPeaceBimbo #NigeriaPolice #WomenInUniform