CP Abubakar Recounts How He Was Arrested by His Own Men in Lagos
TEC News|
Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, has narrated a dramatic encounter in which he was arrested by officers under his command who did not recognise him.
Speaking in a recent interview, Abubakar said the incident occurred on a Saturday when he decided to conduct an unscheduled inspection of police checkpoints across Lagos.
According to him, while driving along Herbert Macaulay Road, a group of young police officers flagged down his jeep. One of them, a constable without an identification card, questioned him about “his father’s car” and demanded his vehicle documents and driver’s licence.
“I told him my name was Mohammed and asked him to first show me his ID card before I present mine. He didn’t have one, so he called their sergeant,” Abubakar recalled.
The sergeant also demanded his ID, and when Abubakar insisted on the same condition, they decided to escort him to the Yaba Police Station (Panti) for further questioning.
On arrival at the station, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) wearing casual shorts attempted to interrogate him. Abubakar refused, insisting that official duties must be conducted in proper uniform. The confrontation escalated until the ASP recognised his face and realised he was the Commissioner of Police.
An elderly officer at the station confirmed Abubakar’s identity after checking the photographs of commanders on the wall, prompting panic among the officers present.
“In fear, the ASP and some other officers literally ran out of the office — some even through the window,” Abubakar recounted.
The Area Commander later informed him that the DPO, the ASP, and other officers involved had been detained pending his directives.
Abubakar said what angered him most was not the wrongful arrest but the lack of professionalism, discipline, and proper identification among the officers.
“How can a police officer stand on the road without an ID card, yet stop and detain people? How can an ASP handle official duties in casual home wear?” he asked.
The former police boss emphasised that effective leadership requires leaving the comfort of the office to observe and enforce standards on the ground.
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