Babankowa: In memory of a humble cop

The sudden death of the brave cop, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Babankowa on the 7th day of September, 2015, shocked not only members of his family, but many others in Kano and Jigawa states, respectively. This may not be unconnected with the immense contributions he made to the lives of many people in the two states during his lifetime. Born in Ringim town, which is now in Jigawa State on May 7, 1937, the late Babankowa died at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), after a brief illness.
The former commissioner of police of the old Gongola State, Babankowa was said to have facilitated recruitment of many youths into the Nigeria Police Force and indeed other places in both state and federal civil services commission as well as in the private sector. Furthermore, the brave cop also sponsored the education of various youths irrespective of their backgrounds during his lifetime, it was gathered.
Babankowa joined the Nigeria Police Force as a cadet inspector of police on February 1, 1960 and retired as commissioner of police in January, 1984. After he retired from service, he was bestowed with the traditional title of Walin Ringim by the present emir of Ringim, Alhaji Sayyadi Abubakar Ringim courtesy of his contributions to the development of the emirate.
Late Babankowa was among the police officers who discovered the decomposing body of assassinated Nigerian Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in Ogun State. He was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in-charge of Ota area in Ogun State in January 1966, when they discovered the slain prime minister’s lifeless body and that of Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh. A gallant police officer, Babankowa also played a key role in quashing the infamous Maitatsine crisis in Kano State.
Babankowa’s title of Walin Ringim gave him another opportunity to serve his people better and also contribute more to Ringim Emirate Council. Although he served the council actively, that did not stop him from partaking in active politics as he contested for various  political offices in both Kano and Jigawa states after his retirement.
First, he contested for governorship of the old Kano in 1991 under the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) and contested for Senator (Jigawa North senatorial district) in 1999 under the defunct All Peoples Party (APP). Apart from politics, late Babankowa was also into philanthropy, building many mosques and Islamiyyah schools.
It was also gathered that until his death, his doors were always open to all and sundry for discussions on politics, life in general and security matters. It was said that the deceased has been regarded as an informal consultant to many politicians and civil servants across the country.
He attended Ringim Primary School between 1946 and 1950, Middle School from 1951-1953, Kano Government College 1954-1959, Police College Ikeja Lagos from 1960-1961 and Detective College, Wakefield, UK. He also attended University of Lagos from 1974- 1975, Royal Institute of Public Administration London in 1975 and School of Management, New York in 1982.
The late cop served in various capacities in the Nigeria Police Force. He worked in 12 out of the old 19 states of Nigeria and also served in the Republic of Congo under the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. He was the Managing Director, Allied Ventura International and chaired the boards of other businesses. He was also Chairman, Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board, among others.
A member of General Sani Abacha’s constitutional conference, the late Babankowa also served as Chairman of WRECA under Alhaji Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya’s administration. Later in life, the courageous cop lived a simple life in his residence along Hadejia Road in Kano, devoted to religious activities and he is also known to have been an ardent farmer. He is survived by three wives, nine children and many  grandchildren and was buried in his hometown Ringim, Jigawa State. His nephew, Malam Abdulrahman Ringim, described the demise of his uncle as a shock, and he explained that the deceased has contributed a lot to the lives of various members of his family. “Every member of our family has in one way or another benefitted from late Babankowa; if you do not benefit from his usual financial support, you would at least enjoy sound fatherly advice,” he said.
“We have lost a father, guide and pillar and it will take us a very long time before we can fill the vacuum he has left. May Allah the Almighty grant him paradise and the family the fortitude to bear the great loss,” Ringim concluded.