The executives and members of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), a vanguard body of all journalists covering the security beat nationwide, on Friday mourned the Late Inspector General of Police (Rtd.), Tafa Balogun, whose sad demise occurred on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at Reddington Hospital, Lagos.
The late IGP, who was Nigeria’s 11th indigenous Inspector General of Police, died at 74 on Thursday night, just about 21 days shy of his 75th birthday.
He was known for championing mass promotion and housing welfare for personnel while in service, he however dedicated his retirement years to clamour for community policing, stressing the need to strengthen the traditional institution to boost internal security operations.
Born on August 25, 1947, Balogun became IGP on March 6, 2002, and was retired on January 17, 2005, under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The deceased, who was recently installed as the Oluomo of Igbomina at his hometown, Ila Orangun, was in his prime when death came knocking.
The University of Lagos alumnus graduated in 1972 with a B.A. in Political Science. He also bagged a law degree from the University of Ibadan. He joined the Nigeria Police Force in May 1973 and rose to the ranks of an Inspector General of Police.
Prior to his becoming the 11th IGP, he worked in several command and staff positions including becoming the Principal Staff Officer to former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammadu Gambo.
He was once appointed Assistant Inspector General of Police (A.I.G) in charge of Zone ‘1’ Kano, from where he was appointed as IGP.
Under his command, Operation Fire for Fire was launched to arrest wild spread growing banditry and cross-border robbery.
With this, he ended the reign of the notorious cross-border terror, Hammani Tijani, who was based in the Benin Republic.
CRAN President, Mr. Lekan Olabulo, described him as a cop par excellence whose service record in the police yielded tangible results, especially in welfare and promotion of personnel.
Olabulo added: “Given the nature of our job as crime reporters, we had cause to interface with him and he was very receptive and truly cared for our welfare even as IGP. Despite his service termination coming as a shock, he still commanded respect amongst police officers, who often described his administration as “The best IGP of all times. The reason was not far-fetched; the late Balogun was a welfarist, who beyond the gruff and tough exterior, valued the welfare of officers and men.”
While stressing that the late IGP’s demise came as a rude shock to all, CRAN President added, “we take solace in the fact that death is a debt we all owe. Undoubtedly, he would be sorely missed by CRAN members, and we pray for comfort for the family he left behind. In bidding him farewell, we tow the path of Ode of Remembrance which says they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them.”
