Nigerian Chief Superintendent, Catherine Ugorji Selected For UN Woman Police Officer Of The Year Award

Catherine Ugorji, a Nigerian Chief Superintendent police officer, has been selected as one of the two runners-up for the prestigious United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award for 2020.

In a press statement released by the National Information Officer of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria Oluseyi Soremekun, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, averred that she exemplifies the best of UN policing.

Ugorji joined the Nigeria Police Force in 2003 and served as a criminal investigator from the local to regional level, Child Protection Officer, Divisional Crime Officer up to Acting Deputy Commander of the Ogudu Police Division in Lagos.

Of the 1,300 UN policewomen deployed in UN peacekeeping operations, the Nigerian police officer who is currently serving with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) made the 21-women list for the award.

The award would be presented during a virtual ceremony presided over by Lacroix on Tuesday, November 3. Luis Carrilho, UN Police Advisor who congratulated Ugorji for being chosen as a runner-up, described her leadership of “three Formed Police Units (FPU) in Gao” as remarkable.

“Catherine has introduced tactical operations that have been instrumental in reducing crime in the area, in support of the Malian security forces and the host population,” Carrilho said.

“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.”