IGP lauds Diri over honour, gifts to police officer who rejected $17,000 bribe

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has commended the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, for honouring and doling gifts to a Superintendent of Police (SP) Sentome Obi who refused to take a $17,000 bribe to derail a sensitive investigation.

SP Sentome Obi who was also recipient of the Police Officer of the Year 2024 and IGP Integrity Award was honoured at a high-level state banquet organised by the Bayelsa State Government on Tuesday, 23rd July 2025 in Yenagoa

Obi, a Bayelsa native and Head of the Financial and Cybercrime Unit at Zone 16 Command, Yenagoa was presented with a brand-new Toyota Corolla and a fully furnished three-bedroom bungalow at the event

In reaction, the IGP, in a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, described the honour and award doled out to the police officer by Diri as a significant recognition of honour, courage, and ethical excellence in law enforcement and an unprecedented reward for ethical conduct in public service.

“The IGP lauded the gesture as a watershed moment in the effort to institutionalize integrity within Nigeria’s security architecture.

“He noted that public recognition of exemplary officers is a powerful tool not only for reinforcing professional values within the Force but also for restoring public confidence in policing as a noble and honourable profession. According to the IGP, “This is more than a commendation, it is a cultural statement. It tells every officer that integrity is not just expected but rewarded,” Adejobi said.

The Force spokesperson further noted that the Force Management Team, under the leadership of the IGP, had earlier on, at its meeting held on Monday, 23rd June 2025, resolved to recommend SP Obi, Police Officer of the year, 2024 and CSP Aliyu Shaba, the recipient of the Police Officer of the Year award 2023 for accelerated promotion by the Police Service Commission.

He added that the team also approved that SP Obi’s portrait and that of CSP Aliyu Shaba be displayed prominently at the entrances of all State and Zonal Command Headquarters, the main entrance of Louis Edet House (Force Headquarters, Abuja), and the Nigeria Police Hall of Fame on the 7th Floor of the Force Headquarters.

“Further decisions reached include the adoption of a merit-driven framework for promotion, under which any officer who has won the police award or received the IGP Recognition Award or other national commendation at least twice in the last two consecutive award cycles will be considered for accelerated promotion.

“This policy direction is intended to embed reward-for-performance as a sustainable feature of the Force’s personnel development strategy.

“These initiatives are part of a broader leadership commitment by the IGP to reposition the Nigeria Police Force as a modern, accountable, and ethically grounded institution. By celebrating integrity, rewarding professionalism, and elevating officers who embody the core values of the Force – discipline, transparency, service, and excellence, the IGP continues to lay the foundation for a new culture of policing in Nigeria” Adejobi said.