Betty Otimenyin officially assumed duty as the first female Commissioner of Police in Edo State on Monday, January 27.
Arriving at the Police Command headquarters just before 10 a.m., Otimenyin was welcomed with a guard of honour. She is the 49th individual to be deployed as Commissioner of Police in the state, succeeding Umoru Ozigi, who retired on Saturday, January 25, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.
In a brief interview with reporters, Otimenyin, who hails from Edo State, emphasized her commitment to reducing crime levels across the South-South state. “I will do a lot of things until the crime level comes down,” she said. Additionally, she stated that the command would take a tougher stance on issues such as extortion among officers, aligning with the Inspector-General of Police’s stance against such practices.
Otimenyin also pledged to focus on increasing efforts to combat violence against women and children in the state. Having joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1992, Otimenyin has previously served in several key positions, including as Commissioner of Police in the Force Intelligence Department (FID), where she oversaw administration.