Frank Odita, former police spokesperson, dies after ‘brief illness’

Frank Odita, a former police spokesperson, has died at the age of 84.

In a statement on Saturday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said Odita died on Friday evening at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) after a brief illness.

Before his retirement from the force, Odita was the public relations officer of the Nigeria Police between 1990 and 1992.

Adejobi said Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), has sympathised with the family of the late police officer.

“The inspector-general of police, IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, on behalf of the entire officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, commiserates with family, friends and loved ones on the sudden death of a former commissioner of police and force public relations officer, CP Frank Odita (Rtd.),” the statement reads.

“He was the force public relations officer of the Nigeria Police Force between 1990 and 1992, and tremendously raised the bar in police public relations, setting the standard for later successes in police/citizen relationship.”

The deceased, who hailed from Delta state, retired from the force in 1993.

Odita was the chief executive officer (CEO) of FrankCom Limited and also a co-founder and presenter of Security Watch Africa, a broadcast programme.

He was a graduate of communications and media studies at the Institute of Police Management and Technology, North Florida University.