FORMER RIVERS STATE COMMANDER AKIN V. FAKOREDE, PROMOTED DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

By Emeka Amaefula

The Maverick and successful Cop and noble officer with international Policing skills whose stay in Rivers state Police Command as Head of Special Anti-Robbery Squad-SARS in charge of Rivers state the then Chief Superintendent Of Police CSP Akin Victor Fakorede is now promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police-DCP. He is among the newly promoted Police officers as announced by the Inspector General Of Police -IGP Usman Alkali Baba. The several crime actions DCP Akin Fakorede stopped and prosecuted before courts of competent jurisdiction with convictions of accused persons remain major proof of his special skill as a lawyer and well-trained Police Officer. His contributions brought peace and improved ease of doing business in Rivers state. The security of lives and property of citizens.

In the years this Ekiti state born newly promoted Deputy Commissioner of Police while he was on duty in Rivers state his image was bigger and his name scared intending criminals. Greedy politicians who were dubious also feared him and his well-trained team of SARS personnel in Rivers state. There was a low crime rate across the 23-Local Government Areas of Rivers State. The story of armed robbers who all hail from Emohua Local Government Area who were caught by SARS officers who were on routine patrol and later prosecuted and convicted for possessing unlicensed fire arms and their confession of haven participated in other crime such as the killing of Army officers and dispossessing their fire arms is case out of many which DCP Akin Victor Fakorede is credited with. His transfer outside Rivers state Police Command after the restructuring of SARS also earned him promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police-ACP. This positive reward outcome enabled DCP Akin Victor Fakorede to also work harder in his next post which in the long run has brought him more laurels and honour given his personal character and acquired leadership style at work place. All now are testimonies of his resourcefulness in being a result-oriented team leader.

On his experiences in the service of Police duties he had acquired cumulatively both internal and international Police training with a cross border posting to International Police popularly addressed as InterPol foreign Service. Such acquired experience made him have a positive implementation of human rights principles in his daily encounter with several characters while he headed Federal SARS in Rivers state. That was the reason why during the Nigerian Youths protest against Police brutality DCP Akin Victor Fakorede was not mentioned in any extra judicial killings or direct manhandling of the rights of citizens in Rivers state or elsewhere that duty called for DCP Fakorede. He used the Law Courts as one of the best ways to administer fairness and equity being a trained Lawyer which brought a secured environment for the good people of Nigeria. For example, were such Court cases taken to Federal High Court Port Harcourt with charges in Suit No. FHP/PH/86C/2017, Suit no. FHC/PH/90C/2017 and Suit no. FHC/ABJ/CR/42/2017.

Wherever he has been posted in the service of the state, DCP Akin Victor Fakorede always discharges his responsibilities with much diligence and puts an eye on his team for the proper security of the state at last. He is being guided by the cardinal laid down ethical values of Policing the society. In fact, he remains an epitome of the saying that “Police is your friend” when you have nothing unfriendly to the interest of the state that will jeopardize the wellbeing of the greater interest of the citizens. With his eyes set on more goals to achieve as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, there are better days for further reward to a hardworking Officer like DCP Akin Fakorede.

Born in Omuo in Ekiti in August 1971 as he grew up with fear of God having been brought up with disciplinarians as parents. DCP Akin Victor Fakorede joined Nigerian Police in 1992 as Inspector after his training at Police academy in Wuddil Kano. He earned a Law Degree LLB from prestigious University of Calabar haven attended Nigerian Law school Enugu Campus in 2007 where he bagged Barrister-At Law BL and topped it with a Masters of Business Administration MBA from same University of Calabar, Cross River state. In the course of his quest for professionalism in Police Force he was trained in Security Diplomacy course; Galileo Management Institute Israel; Financial and Economic Crime course in Cambridge United Kingdom, UK; Detective course; Human Rights course and Counter terrorism course and other sundry courses which have helped to shape his conduct and service delivery as an officer with excellent interpersonal and intrapersonal relationship with officers and Civilian populace.

The tall handsome and humble officer DCP Akin Victor Fakorede’s several participations in United Nations UN African Mission in Darfur Sudan in 2003 and his being deployed to troubled Somalia under African Union AU, Mission helped in shaping his progressive climb to excellent Police Officer whose positive contributions have made the society a better place to live in. Thus in 2015 AMISOM Nigerian Police Contingent Commander then as a Chief Superintendent of Police-CSP, he was awarded a Medal among 24 Officers of Nigerian Police Force that completed one year Tour of Duty under auspices of African Union Mission in Somalia Police Unit When in 2018 the Inspector General gave him permission to sue Rivers State Government over infringement on his fundamental human rights occasioned by libellous publications against him by Rivers state Government under the administration of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Today DCP Akin Victor Fakorede is a man whose cool mien and serious look interpret his seriousness in keeping to the core values of Policing the society for the well-being of all good citizens.