It was an attractive spectacle when 96-year-old Dame Stella O. Okuyiga, who retired as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, took the spotlight during the official unveiling of her book titled ‘Origin of Police Women in Nigeria’.
Okuyiga, who hails from the Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, was among the first 20 women recruited into the Nigeria Police Force in 1955 and retired in 1996.
Her book drew the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, from Abuja, the Rivers State governor, captains of industry, government officials, serving and retired senior police officers, traditional rulers, civil society groups, and representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association, International Federation of Women Lawyers, and the media, among others.
Disu wrote the introduction to the book while serving as Rivers State Commissioner of Police after he met the author on one occasion and promised to see the publication of the author’s biography.
Speaking at the event in Port Harcourt on Tuesday night, Disu said the launch of the book was a fulfilment of the promise he had made to get the book published after he had written the introduction.
The IGP said he was honoured to have been invited to the book launch, which he termed a celebration of courage and service of a remarkable woman whose pioneering effort shaped the Nigerian Police Force.
“The book launch made more meaning to the International Week of the Girl Child, which reminds us that the ambitions of the girl child cannot be constrained by childhood or by gender,” he said.
While noting that policing alone could not guarantee a safe nation, he stressed that security required homes that instilled discipline and values in children, communities that supported the law, and a police force that worked closely with both.
The IGP described the book launch as more than a literary event, saying it was a celebration of courage, service and the remarkable women whose pioneering efforts helped shape the Nigeria Police Force.
“The women who joined the force in 1955 had roles and opportunities limited by the realities of that time. The women officers showed diligence, determination and resilience to succeed, and it remains a lesson to remind every girl child that their dreams can become a reality. Today, we honoured those women for the tradition they left us and their contributions to humanity,” he said.
He recalled how he met Mama, and the latter told her she wrote a book and wanted to launch it, saying that thereafter he would sometimes put a call across to her to inquire on the state of the book and when it would be launched
He described the author’s journey in the police force as a journey of courage and enduring service, saying, “As one of the 20 women who joined the police force in 1955, you belong to the generation of trail blazers who ventured into uncharted territory and make it easy for women in an institution where opportunities were limited”.
Disu said the pioneer female officers demonstrated competence, determination and resilience, thereby opening doors for subsequent generations of women in the force.
In her remarks, Okuyiga, popularly known as Mama, described the book launch as a significant milestone in her life, expressing delight that her experiences would be preserved for future generations.
The nonagenarian said the publication would ensure that her legacy lived on, as the book would be available in libraries around the world for people to read and learn from her experiences.
Reflecting on her years in the police force, the retired deputy commissioner said the institution had undergone significant changes since she joined in 1955, noting that population growth had brought new challenges to policing.
“This book launch today is an important day in my life because the book itself is there. But I still live my life. I still live on because this book will be in libraries all over the world and they’ll be reading it. So I’m so happy that with all that is happening today I will continue to live forever.
“Policing when we came in and policing now is not the same now because the population has exploded. There are life changes,” she said.
In his remarks, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, said the book was more than a historical account, as it documented the courage, sacrifices and achievements of the pioneering women who contributed to the development of the Nigeria Police Force.
He said their stories deserved to be preserved, celebrated and passed on to future generations, adding that the contributions of women to policing demonstrated that professionalism, discipline, courage and commitment to public service transcended gender.
He urged younger generations, particularly young women, to draw inspiration from the experiences of the pioneer officers and pursue leadership roles in law enforcement and other areas of national development.