Asiwaju Tribute

TRIBUTE TO CHIEF ADEWUSI

By Aliyu Ibrahim Atta

The cold hands of death visited one of our finest and revered top cops, Chief Sunday Adewusi, on Tuesday, January 26, at the ripe age of 80. The death of Chief Sunday Adewusi at the National Hospital in Abuja shocked the Nigeria Police Force. I, personally, received the sad news of his demise with great shock and sorrow.

As a mark of respect to the departed, I have to pay this tribute. I would like to express my deepest and sincere shock on the passing away to eternity of this great leader of ours, Chief Sunday Adewusi. I first met Chief Sunday Adewusi in Kano in 1962 as a young officer in the Nigeria Police Force. He was transferred to Kano at that time after having served as “ADC” to the first President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. A good police officer who always encouraged others to aspire to greater heights in the force, Chief Adewusi’s coming into Kano in 1962 saved my career in the Police from the hands of some old police officers who were fighting newly passed-out Cadet Officers. Some old colonial police officers felt their jobs were threatened by the rising wave of young officers, hence the hatred.

After rescuing me from the fangs of these antagonistic officers, I was two months later promoted to the rank of Ag. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and was posted to Yola to continue my duties as a police officer. Some years later, precisely in 1972, I again met Chief Adewusi as the head of the Force CID Alagbon Close.

At that time, the then Inspector-General of Police Late Alhaji Kam Salem, engineered the formation of a new Force CID known as “Alagbon Close”. Under Chief Adewusi, I became one of the fourth luckiest sectional heads to work under him and certainly

I learnt a lot of practical police duties from him and benefitted immensely from his vast experience. The Adewusi days at Alagbon Close made the country to pass through a political history in view of the then Force CID’s ways of investigating matters and achieving good results. It is a fact to state that after Alhaji Kam Salem, Chief Sunday Adewusi was the next colonially trained police officer in the country.

It is rather sad and unfortunate that at this time in our political history that God has brought someone as President in the person of Muhammadu Buhari, who is ready to correct some shortfalls in the governance of this great nation and bring about sanity in the running of the affairs of the Nigeria Police Force where Chief Adewusi’s unalloyed contributions would have been needed, the cold hands of death snatched him away.

The demise of Chief Adewusi is not only a loss to his family now headed by Chief (Alhaja) Mrs Adewusi and the children, but a colossal loss to the country in general and the Nigeria Police Force in particular. Chief Adewusi really shaped the Nigeria Police Force as an AIG, Force CID Alagbon Close and subsequently as an IGP. He is an officer I shall never forget. I thank him even in death because he saved my career in the Police Force when a powerful chief met the late General Murtala Muhammed, the then Head of State, lied against me and also requested that I should be retired from the force. At that time, most officers got retired from the force for flimsy reasons. But thanks to God Almighty, late IGP M.D. Yusuf and late Chief Sunday Adewusi saved my career by telling the Head of State the truth. For my flair in detecting and investigating matters, I was posted as the head of Interpol Nigeria. However, to satisfy the powerful chief, I was subsequently posted to the old Bendel State (now Edo and Delta states) to head the CID there as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

To Chief (Alhaja) Mrs Adewusi and the family. I say take heart and bear this great loss. We pray that the good Lord grant his soul eternal rest and grant him paradise till we meet to part no more.

Late Chief Sunday Adewusi enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Sub-Inspector and had his basic police training in 1957. He served as Inspector-General of Police during the civilian administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. He was a good officer and served his country well.

Police officers, both serving and retired, admired his qualities as a top cop. The late Adewusi never got tired of efforts to improve the standard of policing in the country as he always honoured invitations to police functions.

Fasanmi mourns ex-IG Adewusi

Afenifere chieftain, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, commiserates with the family of the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Chief Sunday Adewusi.

We have been friends for many years; in the past 30 years, we have been communicating. He was a dedicated police officer. He was very supportive when we founded Anti-Robbery Corruption Committee in the 1970s.

Since he retired from the police force, he has remained a loyal friend to me. My heartfelt condolences go to the wife, the children, the people of Ogbomoso and the Nigeria Police Force. We have lost a rare gem. May his soul rest in perfect peace, Amen.