Director general of the Directorate of State Security Service, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi and vice president of the Nigeria Taekwondo Black Belters College…..and heads of other security agencies have lauded the contribution of the Nigerian Police Force to sports development in the country.
They gave the applaud after CP Patrick Atayero, director of sports, Nigeria Police Force, rolled out the achievements of the Police Force’s sports achievements under the leadership of IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun at a media parley prior to the sensitiSation and orientation seminar as well as the 1st IGP MMA Open National Championship in Abuja.
DSS boss who was represented at the parley by Lilian Emerim, urged other sister security agencies to emulate Police’s sports development strategies.
“I was sitting here listening to CP Atayero rolling IGP Egbetokun scorecard in sports within this shortest, and it was like waoo. I think we all need to follow the footsteps of IGP by emulating the Police Force’s sports development strategy, she said.
Similarly, Abdulmuminu Yusuf, vice president, Nigeria Taekwondo Black Belt College, said he was deeply impressed by the IGP achievements in sports within a short time.
He said the Nigeria Black Belt College, intellectual arm of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) appreciates the Police contribution to the development of taekwondo and sports generally in Nigeria.
Earlier, CP Patrick Atayero, highlighted the achievements of IGP Egbetokun in sports as 22nd indigenous Inspector General of Police within six months of his administration.
He said IGP Egbetokun, who was appointed June 19, 2023, inherited a Nigeria Police Force Sports sector that had enormous past achievements on record but saddled with even more enormous expectations from Nigerian sports enthusiasts and stakeholders alike, immediately hit the ground running to ensured there was no room for any lapses whatsoever.
He listed the introduction of three new sports – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Netball and Vovinam Vietvodao (a form of Self-defense) – and Police Sports Associations elections and inauguration of the 14th Biennial Police Games planning committee among the achievements of IGP Egbetokun in sports development.
Atayero added that in a move to maintain Police Force’s commitment to sports development through active collaboration, IGP Egbetokun also graciously approved appointments of DCP Osifo Tony Emefile as security consultant to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL); CSP Kalu Chijioke Erem – Board Member of the Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF) and CSP Bashir Mainasara Abubakar – Chief Security Officer to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
According to CP Atayero, the IGP in order to enhance the capacity and capability of the Police athletes also approved the requests by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to release some elites athletes of the Force to the Federation for Athletes Conditioning Programmes (ACP) within and outside the country in preparation for the 13th All Africa Games in Ghana, 2024 World Athletics Championship in Hungary and Paris 2024 Olympics Games.
