The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5, comprising Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states, Lawan Jimeta, died on Sunday.
Police authorities, in an announcement on Sunday, said Jimeta died after a brief illness.
The PUNCH gathered that the late AIG had last Wednesday slumped after suffering a stroke.
He was hospitalised at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo State, where he was scheduled for a surgery.
A source told our correspondent that, “The late AIG slumped on Wednesday and did not recover after suffering a stroke which caused him to haemorrhage. He was supposed to have a surgery to save his life but he died before it could be done.”
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Sunday, quoted the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, as mourning Jimeta, whom he described as a passionate officer and a peace lover.
“On behalf of the Force Management team, and officers of the Nigeria Police Force, it is with regret that I announce the demise of a great poet and philosopher, a passionate officer and peace lover, AIG Lawan Tanko Jimeta, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, after a brief illness.
“AIG Jimeta, who hailed from Jimeta in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, served in various administrative, investigative, training and operational capacities during his almost 34 years stint in the policing career.
“He was a one-time Director of Peacekeeping, Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force, Edo and Bauchi states commands, Commandant Police Academy, and was until his death the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5 Benin, Edo State.
“The late AIG enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on March 3, 1990 and was a dedicated officer with a great passion for training and mentorship in the field of security intelligence and peace support operations. A philosopher and poet par excellence, he has a collection of poems tagged ‘Song of the Peacekeeper’ to his credit, and has featured on every edition of the Police ‘New Dawn Magazine’ as a guest poet.
