Moshood Adebayo

lagos Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu,  yesterday, rewarded the Divisional Police Officers in charge of the Ogudu Police Station, Lagos , Mrs. Celestina Kalu, for saving the life of an orphan, Friday Ajabor.

Sanwo-Olu described Kalu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), as “a humane police officer”, saying her decision to save the life of an orphan, Friday Ajabor, shot by a two-man robbery gang in Ojota, was a “matchless trait of compassion.”

Ajabor, a 25-year-old orphan from Edo State, was at Ojota with his friend at about 8pm on September 19 when two men of the underworld waylaid them.

They struggled with the hoodlums, who  attempted to dispossess them of their valuables, until the assailants overpowered them. Ajabor’s friend managed to escape leaving him at the mercy of the robbers who shot him in the bowel at a close range.

A team of policemen from Ogudu Police Station led by Mrs. Kalu arrived the scene about 30 minutes later. The policemen, it was learnt, rushed the victim to two hospitals where he was rejected for lack of bed space.

About 90 minutes after, the victim was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where he underwent a series of surgery, the cost of which was personally defrayed by Mrs. Kalu. The DPO’s act of kindness caught Sanwo-Olu’s attention after it went viral in the social media, prompting him to reach out to the policewoman and the victim.

While honouring the DPO, at the Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday, Sanwo-Olu said  Kalu went beyond the limit of her official duty to save the life of the robbery victim.

“This is one of the essences of governance and public service when you have public officers going beyond the call of duty to render a helping hand to a fellow citizen.

“This is a rare trait of compassion by the DPO. We usually don’t get to witness such act of kindness, because everyone of us is too overwhelmed by myriad of personal challenges. When we see law enforcement officers giving us reasons to be kind, we need to appreciate and recognise such action. This is why we are honouring Mrs. Kalu this morning as our role model. This will encourage others to emulate this act of kindness.”

To honour the DPO, Sanwo Olu,  presented a special plaque bearing the official seal of the Lagos State Government.

He urged security agencies to scale up their surveillance across the state, urging inter-agency collaboration to rid Lagos of robbers and criminals.

Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the honour done to the DPO was the prize of her compassion.