By Ibrahim Jagaba
Like his predecessors, the name (CSP) Olayinka Egbeyemi evokes fearlessness, bravery and proactiveness.
Having spent over four years as Chairman, Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce), where he cut a niche as a dedicated and result-oriented senior police officer, Egbeyemi redeployment from RRS after over three years in the saddle would see him exiting the squad leaving behind many unique and enduring legacies.
From assumption of office as Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in mid-December, 2020, CSP Egbeyemi hit the ground running as a sprinter with clear destination in sight. He started with re-orientating and restructuring the squad into a combat ready but civilian friendly police unit. He moved into re-kitting the squad with branded jackets, kneel guards, bullet proof vests, helmet and cleaner uniforms and camouflage for weekends.
In the same breadth, Egbeyemi opened up engagements with divisional police units with notorious blackspots in the state with a view to ridding them of criminals using the spots as haven. He also undertook a convoy patrol/show of force with the approval of successive Commissioners of Police to areas where there were inadequate police presence to reassure the residents of the Command’s commitment to always protect them.
While opening up the squad for feedbacks, he was in touch with community leaders and community development associations with the intention of obtaining actionable intelligence that would help forestall crime in communities. These engagements and feedbacks provided him opportunities to create additional pin down points in areas where they were needed.
The hindsight of these engagements propelled him into creating several tactical squads to boost police visibility in many areas in the state. Such tactical squads included: RRS Lion, RRS Scorpion, RRS Eagle, RRS Hawk, RRS Rocket, RRS Cobra, RRS Attack, etc. These teams complemented the squads patrol vehicles thus strengthening security in the state.
Such motivations also led the squad to commence the patrol of Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and 24 – hour bike patrol of Third Mainland Bridge.
Faced with the dearth of office spaces for units and teams, Egbeyemi began mobilizing resources from close associates to build a new office complex beside RRS headquarters in Alausa. Few days to his first year in office, the building which had three offices en-suite, two offices, toilet and open upstairs for officers on station guard to take shelter, was commissioned by Lagos State Governor, who was represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff late Mr Gboyega Soyanwo.
The Commander never ceased to demonstrate he was well honed for the seat of RRS helmsman. He recorded heaps of successes in the area of arrest of criminals, recovery of several guns, recovery of stolen vehicles, interception of busload of hard drugs, foiling of robberies, repelling of attacks on police stations etc
Save for creating the legal unit to assist in the speedy prosecution of suspects, Egbeyemi facilitated N1 million upkeep allowance for the retiring officers of the squad to sustain them before the arrival of police pension while also sustaining insurance for injured police personnel on duty and N10 million for next of kin of deceased policemen.
Egbeyemi did not only injected new ideas into RRS, he sustained the legacies created by the pioneering Commander of RRS and improved upon by successive Commanders thereby maintaining the long years of unique services of Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
From late ACP Tunde Sobulo (2001 – 2004), CSP Kayode Egbetokun, currently Inspector General Police (2005 – 2007), ACP Olusegun Odumosu (2007 – 2015), CSP Samuel Awopetu (Jan 2015 – May, 2015), DCP Olatunji Disu (2015 – 2020) to CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi (2000 – 2024), RRS has metamorphosed to not just a national brand but global squad and a model police unit.
With CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi in the saddle, RRS kept soaring in multiple spheres and more states are still understudying and replicating RRS brands. As he hands over to a new helmsman, we pray that the image of the squad keeps soaring as a people friendly, diligent and disciplined squad.
