Family members, friends, well-wishers and colleagues recently gathered in Yaba area of Lagos state to celebrate Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mary Ubangha who retired from the Nigeria Police Force after 35 years of active service.
The event which attracted very important dignitaries in society was CSP Ubangha’s way of expressing gratitude to God for His infinite mercies and protection which saw her through her career in the Police and to her colleagues, friends and well-wishers who in one way or the other contributed to her success.
In an interview, CSP Ubangha who is the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Sabo Police Station, Lagos State recalled that her journey into the Police Force was influenced by a distant sister of hers who was in the police force. “I saw her dressed in police uniform and I told myself that I could equally join the police, one thing led to the other and the dream became a reality”, she said.
CSP Ubangha, a devoted Christian and committed wife thanked her husband, Prof. Monday Bassey Ubangha, a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos and their children for their support and understanding. The highly elated CSP Ubangha who hails from Idomi community in Yakurr Local Government area of Cross River State said she had no regrets except that she would have wished to go beyond her present rank, adding that if given another opportunity she would still serve in the Force.
On the 1st December 1983, barely one month after her school certificate result was released, the young Mary enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as recruit constable and trained at the Police College, Ikeja. She was then posted to the Cross River Police Command as Constable in 1984 and rose steadily through the ranks to become Corporal in 1988 and then Sergeant in 1990 during which time she served as Correspondence Clerk in the Top Secret Registry of the CP’s Office.
It was in this office that the then Commissioner of Police, Cross River State spotted the high level of discipline, commitment to duty and intelligence of the young Mary which earned her the Commissioner of Police Commendation and Award for Zeal, Devotion to Duty and Unflinching Loyalty to the Nigeria Police Force as a result of which was encouraged to undertake full time studies leading to the award of National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Secretarial Administration at the then Polytechnic, Calabar in 1993 and 1996 respectively.
On the successful completion of her HND programme, she was immediately posted as Secretary to the CP, Cross River State Command, a duty post she held until 1998 when she was promoted to Inspector on the recommendation of the CP and in recognition of her additional academic qualifications. In 1999, she was posted to the Lagos State Police Command to join her family and served as Inspector (Admin) at Ketu Police Division.
She was appointed ASP in 2000 and was a member of a Course 1/2000 at the Police Staff College, Jos. She was confirmed substantive ASP in 2002, promoted DSP in 2004 and SP in January, 2008. Between 2002 and 2014, she served in various capacities within the Lagos State Police Command including O/C Team M, General Investigation Department, CP’s Office, Divisional Traffic Officer, Divisional Crime Officer, and later Acting DPO at Ilupeju Police Station, Divisional Crime Officer, Mushin, Area Traffic Officer Area ‘A’ and Divisional Police Officer, Ijaiye-Ojokoro Division.
She is currently the Divisional Police Officer, Sabo. While serving at Ilupeju as DCO under CSP Olugbemi Gbolahan as DPO, Ilupeju Police Division won the best Police Station in Africa Award. In recognition of her sterling qualities, professionalism, loyalty and dedication to duty, she was elevated to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police in 2016.
