Former Nigeria Police chief, Etim Inyang, buried

A former Inspector-General of Police, Etim Inyang, was buried, Saturday, in Enwang, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Mr. Inyang died on September 26, at the age of 85. He served as Nigeria’s police boss from 1983 to 1986.

The governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, were among the dignitaries who attended the burial ceremony.

Mr. Emmanuel, in his eulogy at the Enwang Stadium where the funeral took place, said the late police chief “epitomized the ‘Can-do’ spirit which forms the definitional layers of the Akwa Ibom identity”.

Mr. Emmanuel said when the late Mr. Inyang lost his father early in life which affected his academic pursuit, that didn’t stop him from following his path to success – joining the police as a recruit in October, 1949, and rising steadily till he got to the top.

“It’s not too often that one gets to such heights having started from the lowest rung of the ladder,” the governor said.

“There must have been something in our late IGP that others whom God had positioned as his destiny helpers saw in him, and those values are not far-fetched.

“Here lies a man who was honest, trustworthy, dependable and imbued with deep Christian values of love and goodwill towards all – a man who harboured no ill-will towards his compatriots or others who came in contact with him, a thorough-bred professional who fought crime with a human face, a community leader who realized that even though his constituency was national, he was first and foremost a proud son of Enwang, and had an abiding responsibility to affect and effect developmental strides within the community.

Mr. Emmanuel said the late Mr. Inyang’s family, the Oro ethnic nationality where he belonged, and the Akwa Ibom people should be consoled by the fact that the former police chief brought glory and honour through his service to the country.

“As we wish him eternal farewell today, let us all be inspired by his life of selfless service, his compassion, his innate belief in the capacity to rise and shine even in the face of great odds, his deep love for his nation and his state, the humility he exuded and his faith and belief in the goodness inherent in the human nature,” the governor said.