Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, now Archbishop of Jesus Family Ministries Church, Christopher Akhigbe Omeben, recently turned 80. Speaking with Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi, he reflects on life as a church man, the past 26 years since retiring from the police and his police years.
You had an illustrious career as a police officer, rising through the ranks to the position of Deputy Inspector General of Police; was becoming a cop always your aspiration as a youth?
My ambition was to become a mechanical engineer. I had the required qualifications to go into the university and was to study in India, but my father was very sickly and he said to me, ‘My dear son, I may die before you come back.’ This caused a friction between us. Then I was to join the Army along with three others: the late Major Obenun, Commander Anuku, and one other young man. We did fine in the examinations and were supposed to go abroad for training, but my father again opposed this move. I asked him what he wanted me to do, and he asked me to come and join the police. I said, you spent 18 years in the police and ended up as a Corporal. He had commendation certificates in the entire place. He assured me that I would excel if I listened to him. I declined and went to my village in Edo State. I went to one of my teachers, Miss. Gregory, and told her what I was going through. She said she would send me to the Forestry Department. She kept to her promise and I was appointed as Assistant Forest Officer. I was posted to Saponba. I was doing fine and my best friends were animals, such as gorilla and all that. I spent six months in the bush. My stay was however brief because of what happened.
What happened?
I had a little fondness for one politician, Ojike. I loved his politics in those days. I went to Sapele to buy foodstuffs on a weekend and decided to buy a newspaper, The West African Pilot. There I saw his obituary; that my political mentor had died three months earlier and I didn’t even know. This got me angry. I went back to my base and resigned. I moved to Benin and was staying with a friend. From Benin, I took the next opportunity available and left for Lagos, where I stayed in Yaba. I was about 25 years then. One day, I went to buy bread for my uncle at Yaba and saw an advertisement in the Daily Times that there was vacancy in the Nigeria Police Force. I had all the required qualifications and this prompted me to go to the force headquarters in Obalende. On getting to Obalande, I was directed to a Sergeant who told me that to be a Cadet Inspector, I must have four credits in my School Certificate. I told him I had distinctions but this man said they didn’t want Distinctions. When I tried to explain myself, he shouted me down and asked me to leave. He didn’t give me the form and I left his office. As I was walking along the corridor in Obalende Police Headquarters, I ran into a white man, one Mr. Briffet. He asked me why I was walking on the corridor. I explained my dilemma and how I was denied an application form because had distinctions. Right there, he sent his orderly to bring the form. He filled the form with his hand-writing. He then asked me who I knew in Lagos; I told him I knew one Mr. Odia who was in the Sports Council then. He said I should take the form to him to fill the part B. This was in June 1958. The interview came up in September. To fill the gap in between, I took a job at UAC and was posted to the Central Account Department. When the time for the examinations came, I quit the job. My police training commenced on October 1, 1958.
Your first approach to the Nigerian Police was denied, until you met the Whiteman; what do you think was playing out here?
It was God because I had turned down the issue of joining the police before. My father was very persuasive but I refused to listen. I think God had a purpose for me in the police.
What factor shaped your life while growing up?
My father was a disciplinarian, so I had no time for fun. Initially I thought he was punishing me unnecessarily, but as I grew up I loved what he did. Again, it was God again moulding my life.
When did you get the call to work for God?
It was in 1974 that I started a fellowship that eventually turned into a church. Prior to that time, on January 22, 1974, I was living at No. 16B, Ilabere Street in Ikoyi, Lagos. I was in the room with my late wife, when suddenly, there was a thunder in my room and I thought it was going to rain. I was still ruminating on what to do when I saw three strange odd people who pretended that they had come to elongate my life. You know my father died very young, so they said they wanted to give me some incisions so that my life would be prolonged. I refused. It was a battle but the Lord Almighty intervened with thunder in the room. A voice called my native name, “Akhigbe,” and introduced Himself as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and said, “My son, fear not.” That was my first encounter.
Why fight against an offer to elongate your life? Some people would have jumped at such opportunity?
I battled them because I didn’t believe in incision. This had caused a lot of rancour between my father and I. They didn’t come with good intention. They wanted me to die in my sleep. But God took them on and asked them a simple question that they couldn’t answer. God said, “You wanted to kill my servant in his sleep so that people can say in the morning that he died of heart attack.” God said, “If you could elongate life, what day of the week is August 27, 1987.” This happened in 1974 and they couldn’t answer. Having failed, God ordered them out of the room.
Nigeria today is challenged security-wise. What measures would you suggest as remedy to the present situation?
It is not only the police that are involved; many arms of government are involved. If all these people involved in security can put their acts together, there will be a solution. For instance, in the police force, everybody is talking about corruption; it can be whittled down if there is an improvement, particularly in the recruitment policy. If you go on the street, you’d find young policemen who are good enough to be in secondary school or at vocation centres parading themselves as police officers. Some of them cannot speak any good English. This upsets me a lot. If we can adopt the British pattern, the situation will be remedied. For instance, in Britain, if a 36-year-old woman or man wants to join the police, it is allowed on a condition that with your age and working experience, you cannot spend more than 15 years in the police. They employ them as constables and the British system believes with their experience, they are in a better position to handle the affairs in their community and around them. Police doesn’t have to look for accommodation for you because you are an established citizen and after your training you start work. In Nigeria, they are recruited at a very tender age because they want them to spend 35 years in the service. Thirty five years of what? I will advise the authorities to get people who are experienced in other sectors to join the force and carry on from there.
Corruption seems to have assumed a monstrous shape these days, what was it like in your days?
It wasn’t like that back then. Back in my days, we said no policeman should go on traffic duty with excess of five naira in his pocket and if you’re caught with more than five naira in your pocket, you would be dismissed. But today it’s not like that, which is shameful. The reverse is the case today, as some policemen would even give you change at the road blocks. I have seen it.
There have been advocates for decentralization of the police, what is your take?
I have been one of the advocates of decentralisation of the Nigerian Police. The police should have been decentralised a long time ago. The excuse they, the authorities, always give, that the police will be misused by the politicians, is not tenable. Tell me, are the politicians that are now in control of the centre not Nigerians? Are the politicians in the states not Nigerians? If those at the centre can control themselves and don’t use the police against their opponents, what is it that would convince me that those in the states will? Granting that that is even true, which is preferable? The police that are small and can tackle issues in the community or a police force that has no control. So people should rethink.
How do you think the citizens’ confidence can be restored in the police?
It is simple. Orientation. If the police can be mentally refurbished, it would go a long way. Also constant training is needed, and letting them know that their salaries are from the taxes being paid by the people they are harassing. I think they will change.
How is life after retirement?
Most times it looks boring but you get used to it in time. You go to bed when you want, get up when you want except you have extra jobs you are doing for yourself. So there is no pressure on you.
Some say the integrity of the force is deteriorating; what was the perception back in your days as career officer?
The integrity was very high because the amount of complains we have today are much higher than what we had then. Also, there were lots of things we couldn’t do then. For instance, if you are an ASP, bought a car without a loan, the CID (Criminal Investigative Department) will be after you. I remember a colleague of mine who bought a motorcycle when we were still inspectors; they asked him where he got the money with which he bought the motorcycle. He couldn’t answer, so he was accused of being corrupt and that he was collecting money in traffic. Because of that, he was denied promotion and suffered it for many years before he left the force. Maybe you were at ASP position and then you went and bought an air-conditioner in your house. They’d ask you ‘How did you get the money?’
What legacy did you leave behind as DIG?
It was on the lips of the ordinary man who was old enough in 1989 when I retired that Chris Omeben was against anything that had to do with bribery and corruption. I didn’t believe in it because I was satisfied with what I got as my salary. I remember a case that happened in 1988, when a white man approached me to jail somebody, who is a prominent politician now, on a flimsy offence. The white man and the lady that led him to my office brought 300,000 Pounds Sterling. I turned the money down. I called the white man and said, “The fellow you want me to jail was a Deputy Commissioner of Police. And moreover, the offence is minor. Can’t you settle?” The Nigerian lady that followed him later came back and said, “Oga, come and open an account in Nigeria Bank of Commerce and Industry,” that the money would be put there. I said I was not interested. So if there was any legacy I left behind, I think it is my integrity; I left with my integrity intact.
Are you saying that even white men contributed to corruption in Nigeria?
The white man knows that price of crude will be $60 per barrel; that same white man will leave his country and come to Nigeria and say ‘O’ boi go to NNPC, tell them we will buy at $30, then the difference we shall share. He is prompting you to go into corruption. Whereas they go back home and tell their people that Africans are very corrupt.
What is your philosophy of life?
Do the best you can do for a generation and leave a mark of honesty.
At eighty you still look attractive. Going into the ministry in 1989 at age 46, were you not afraid of losing your liberty?
I don’t think I had all the liberty then because those who knew me very well can testify that I wasn’t a go-go type. So God speaking to me to start a ministry was a thing of joy.
How has the ministry work benefited you?
It has benefited me tremendously. I always say when I agreed to join the police, my father said ‘My dear son, if only we can have an inspector of police in our family, that will be wonderful.’ So when I became an inspector, my father made me to dress up and took me to Sapele to go and show to his friends. Then as I earned my promotion in the days of Gen. Murtala Mohamed, there was this wave of retirement and because some people did not like my religious lifestyle and the fact that I wouldn’t collect money from anybody; they thought they should ease me out. My name was put down for retirement and when one of the girls saw my name, she came to show me in my office, weeping. I asked her to get me a leave form, which I filled with the intention of going on leave to await news of my retirement letter. I was in the church one day when the voice of the lord came and said ‘For building a house for me, I am going to give you double promotion.’ Of course I laughed. While I was on leave, a colleague came to congratulate me that I had been promoted to the position of deputy commissioner. I said ‘come on, stop teasing me.’ I called my wife and told her, took my bath, wore my best suit, and went to the office to thank the IG for promoting me. I walked straight to the office of my boss who wanted to retire me to greet him. I was posted to Ogun State, where I became the first commissioner of police.
In Nigeria, we have loads of churches and mosques but we’re low on moralities; what do you think is responsible for this?
The society has a role in it but I always tell people, they don’t appreciate what God does through the mosque. People cannot appreciate what God does through the churches. I was watching a program on TV yesterday and I saw how God used a pastor to restore some people and I said ‘which hospital can do this?’ No hospital can do that. Or maybe an Imam prays and prays and you see the positive result in the life of somebody. Government cannot do that. To me the more mosques and churches we have, the better. Ministers should not live in poverty either, if they acquire their wealth legitimately, it is ok, but don’t rip off anybody.
What is it like to be dressed in the same attire most time? What was the transformation like for you?
I put on the suit once in a while; I have several suits which I used to wear. But now I have the white, the blue and the rest. The other suits I have, I hardly wear because it’s like taking a fish out of water. That is the way I see it, I will prefer to be seen as a Bishop.
How did you meet your late wife?
I met my wife a long time ago when she was working somewhere. I used to take her to and fro and everybody concluded that she was my girlfriend. We were just friends. But a day came when I just told her, “Do you know you would make a very good Mrs. Omeben.” She taught I was joking. Then a day came when she said she needed a passport because they were planning to go to Canada. I said, “Young lady, you are not going to Canada because that Canada is in my house.” That was how the whole thing started. We formalised our union in 1971. The marriage is blessed with seven children and four grand-children. We lived together for 43 years until she passed away last year.
Are any of your children in your line of profession?
In the Police, no. But in the ministry, yes. They don’t like the force like I didn’t like it back then too.
Would you say your life aspirations have been fulfilled at eighty?
I have enjoyed my life; the only area I will say I have not been fulfilled is the area of touching people’s life.
Is that in terms of resources?
Without resources you can’t do anything. You need money to do it and unfortunately, I have not got that kind of money. I know however that if it is a programme God has for me, he will provide the funds and I will do it before He calls me home.
How would you say life has treated you in the last 80 years?
God has been wonderful, I normally say that God has given me somebody else’s time; He has helped me all along and I cannot show him enough appreciation. I schooled in the police force, my last constituency. God is very wonderful and I appreciate him.
