Nigeria’s Ugorji emerges runner up for UN woman police officer of the year award

Amid the backlash faced by the Nigeria Police due to brutality and rights abuses, Chief Superintendent, Catherine Ugorji has remained a shining light.

Officer Ugorji who is serving with the United Nations (UN) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has been selected by the UN as one of two runners-up for the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year award for 2020.

A statement by the National Information Officer of the UN System in Nigeria, Oluseyi Soremekun, under Secretary-General of Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said Ugorji has exemplified the best of UN policing, through her words and actions.

Of the 1,300 UN policemen deployed in UN peacekeeping operations, twenty-one were norminated for the award.

The year’s winner, Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo of Zambia, serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), would be presented the award during a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, November 3.

READ ALSO: UN confirms killing of eight students in Cameroon

However, the UN Police Advisor, Luis Carrilho, congratulated Ugorji for being chosen as a runner-up and described her leadership of “three Formed Police Units (FPU) in Gao” as remarkable.

According to Carrilho, the Nigerian introduced tactical operations that have been instrumental in reducing crime, in support of the Malian security forces and the host population.

“In addition to this very demanding role, Chief Superintendent Ugorji has worked diligently to improve living conditions for women police officers so they can serve safely and with dignity,” Carrilho said.

CSP Ugorji joined the Nigeria Police in 2003 and served as Criminal Investigator from the local to regional level.

She was also Child Protection Officer and Divisional Crime Officer up to Acting Deputy Commander of the Ogudu Police Division in Lagos.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now