A retired Nigerian police officer, Superintendent Prince Adetarami Festus Adegbehin, has tearfully expressed regret for joining the Nigeria Police Force, saying the country he risked his life defending has abandoned him in sickness and poverty.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Yoruba, the ailing officer, who has been bedridden for three years, lamented his condition, saying he now excretes on his bed due to prolonged illness.
“I blame myself for joining the Nigeria Police Force, and by God’s grace, none of my children or generation will ever join,” he said.
“Look at how I have become. I have been bedridden for three years and even excrete on the bed.”
Adegbehin, who joined the Force on April 1, 1986, and retired in 2021, recalled that his troubles began in 2017 while serving as a command officer in Akwa Ibom State.
According to him, he was involved in a road accident while travelling for a meeting called by the then Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun.
“I spent more than N9million on treatment after the accident. I was not given any support by the Nigerian Police. I became financially incapacitated and had to take several loans,” he said.
The retired officer said he continues to suffer from the effects of the injury, adding that despite his years of service and bravery in confronting armed robbers, he now lives in pain and poverty.
“I defended this country with all my life. If you check my body, you will see the scar where a bullet penetrated. I faced armed robbers head-on. Now that I am on a sick bed, see how the Nigerian government has repaid me,” he lamented.
Adegbehin revealed that his monthly pension as a Superintendent of Police was just ₦47,900, while his gratuity was less than ₦3million — all of which he said was spent on his medical treatment.
He further explained that he once led the security team that provided protection for the then U.S. President Bill Clinton’s deputy during a visit to Nigeria, earning him an international recognition award from the U.S. government.
Despite his years of dedicated service, he said life has become unbearable.
“Two of my children are at home because I cannot afford their school fees. I have borrowed over ₦25 million from banks, and now I am begging the Nigerian government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to my aid,” he pleaded.
Adegbehin appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, and philanthropic Nigerians to intervene before his situation worsens, saying he has been left to suffer for serving his country faithfully.