Nationality Nigerian Profession Police Name Patrick Okeke Alma mater Amawbia, Anambra, England | Spouse(s) Catherine Okeke Allegiance Biafra Role Police officer | |
 | ||
Born 31 December 1920
Nri, Anambra State, Nigeria ( 1920-12-31 ) Died September 20, 1995, Nigeria | ||
Patrick Iwegbuna Okeke (December 31, 1920 – September 20,1995) also referred to as P.I. Okeke, was a former Inspector-general of police and commissioner of police during the era of the Nigerian Civil War. He was one of the dramatis personae who participated fully in the Nigerian Civil war.
Contents
Early life and education
Okeke was born into the Okeke family of Umunkpa clan in Agbadani village of Agukwu-Nri in Anocha LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria. He was one of the few students to pass the 1935 First School Leaving Certificate Examinations and subsequently received a teaching appointment under the Catholic Mission at St. Matthew’s School, Amawbia, Anambra State. In 1943, he married his wife Catherine. He later went on to stand out as a recruit in the Police Training College in Hendon, England from where he emerged successful in 1952.
Nigerian Police Force
After years of training, Okeke was promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (A.S.P.). He was hand selected to serve in a variety of elite special forces within the Nigerian Police Force including the Criminal Investigation Unit (C.I.D.), the Special Services Branch (Now S.S.S), Divisional and Provincial Police Units. He was later made Deputy Commandant and Superintendent of the Southern Police College Ikeja in 1958.
In 1959, Okeke was invited to participate in a course at the Scottish Senior Police Officers' College. Again in 1962, he took part in training courses abroad while at War Office in London under the Imperial General Staff and the Directorate of Military Training and Operations.
After his training and subsequent to Nigerian independence of 1960, Okeke quickly moved up the ranks. By April 1964 he had ascended from Assistant and Deputy Commissioner of Police to Commissioner of Police (C.P.), thereby making him the first indigenous Commissioner of Police for the then Eastern Region, Nigeria.
Nigerian Civil War
Okeke served in his capacity as Commissioner of police until the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967. Following the secession of the now defunct Republic of Biafra, he was promoted to Inspector-General (I.G.) of Police to head the forces in the new republic. He helped lead armed forces during the war alongside Biafran commanders such as Odumegwu Ojukwu and Philip Effiong.
Towards the end of the civil war in 1970, Okeke was a member of the Biafra secession delegation that would ratify a peace settlement and surrender to the Federal Military Government of Nigeria led by Yakubu Gowon during the war ending ceremony at the Dodan Barracks.
Post-War
After the civil war, Okeke was retired from the police force in conjunction with other senior and junior officers of the Eastern Region for their part in the war. In retirement, he was initiated into the Ozo title and given the traditional name “Ogbunaechendo” for his contributions to the social and economic welfare of the people of Agukwu Nri in Anambra State of Nigeria.
Continuing his service to the community, Okeke dedicated his time to active lay apostolate work in the Catholic Church which earned him the Papal Knighthood of St. Sylvester (KSS) conferred by the late Pope Paul VI in 1968. He was also initiated as a Knight of St. Muluba (KSM) and served as the first President of the Archdiocese of Onitisha’s Lay Apostolate organization.
Okeke later grew ill in 1988 forcing him abroad to the United States. He succumbed to his sickness and died in Nigeria on September 20, 1995. He is survived by 8 children and 26 grandchildren.