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| L-r: Area Commander Area "C' Surulere, ACP Abayomi Oni; Mrs Msurshima Tilley Gyado, Deputy Director Ministry of Police affairs; ACG M M Tilley Gyado ( Rtd ); Area Commander, Agbara Command, ACP Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade and Area Commander Area J, Ajah, Lagos, ACP Yemisi Ojo. |
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| L-r: DPO Atan, CSP Sola Oniyiku; Area Commander, Agbara Command, ACP Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade; DPO Idanyin, SP Monsurat Ajose and DPO Idioke, CSP Surajo Bello during the recent birthday Dinner of Agbara Area Commander at Crowncity resort Lusada. |
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| ACP Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade with Oba Oloto of oto Land. |
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They say great people are not born by chance; they are born by divine design. October, the month of liberty and freedom, gave birth to one of Nigeria’s finest and most phenomenal women in uniform; Assistant Commissioner of Police Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade, the first female Area Commander of Agbara Police Command.
Her story is a rare blend of courage, compassion, competence, and character. She stands tall; not just because of her rank, but because of the grace and godly wisdom that define her every action. Like the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
A Day Heaven and Earth Agreed
On Saturday, November 6th, 2025, the usually quiet Agbara community came alive. The cream of the crop from across Nigeria; royal fathers, security chiefs, media executives, celebrities, political figures, and community leaders; gathered to celebrate this woman of faith, philanthropy, and uncommon influence.
It wasn’t just a birthday. It was a festival of testimony, celebrating a police officer whose impact has crossed the borders of her command into hearts, homes, and institutions.
Her presence drew three royal highnesses from Lagos and Ogun States, DPOs, ACPs, a Customs Comptroller, PCRC executives, the Managing Director of CrownCity Resort, and even movie celebrities like Okiki; all eager to honor a woman who has become a light in the force and a voice in the community.
As one attendee remarked, “This is the first time we’re witnessing a police officer celebrated not for her power, but for her personality.”
A Trailblazer with a Golden Heart
From her earliest days in the Nigeria Police Force, ACP Tanaruno charted a path few women dared to tread. In a system dominated by men, she rose not by lobbying, but by labor; through intelligence, discipline, and divine favor.
Her colleagues fondly call her “the woman whose brain listens to God.” In a profession where rules and ranks often overshadow righteousness, she remains “as gentle as a dove yet as wise as a serpent” (Matthew 10:16).
The Yoruba say, “Ìwà l’ẹwà obìnrin”; character is the beauty of a woman. And indeed, her inner beauty radiates more than any medal could shine. She is a go-getter and a go-giver, proving that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
From supporting orphanages every month; where the children eagerly await “Mama Folashade’s visit”; to mentoring students toward crime-free futures, she embodies the saying, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
An orphanage matron once testified, “We always know when Madam Folashade receives her salary; the children’s laughter tells the story first.”
Faith as Her Foundation, Service as Her Song
In a world where power corrupts and authority hardens hearts, ACP Tanaruno stands out because her faith tames her strength. She prays before she plans and listens before she leads.
To her, policing is not just a career; it’s a calling. She believes in divine partnership in her duty. “Without God,” she says, “the badge is just a metal. With God, it becomes a ministry.”
Her prayer life has become legendary. She doesn’t rely on the force of weapons but the force of prayer. Like David before Goliath, she understands that “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47). No wonder, as her admirers often say, “God fights for her, and favor walks before her.”
Even among her peers, she stands as a pillar of influence; not because she shouts the loudest, but because her results speak the most. “Empty barrels make the loudest noise,” they say, but hers is a life of quiet excellence that echoes across ranks and regions.
A Bridge Between the Police and the People
Few officers have built bridges like ACP Tanaruno. Through The Good Neighbours Agbara Initiative; a group born out of her weekly jogging sessions with residents; she has united community and command, proving that “when hearts meet, peace reigns.”
The PCRC Chairman described her as “a commander with compassion, a leader with listening ears.”
Her coordination and accessibility have turned Agbara Police Command into a model of cooperation, not confrontation. She has changed the narrative from fear of police to faith in police.
In the words of Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.” Truly, her fruits are seen in the lives she touches daily.
The Brain Magazines' Submission
When good women like ACP Tanaruno ascend to positions of leadership, societies heal faster, institutions breathe integrity, and nations recover their moral compass. Leadership, when guided by values and nurtured by compassion, becomes more than a seat of power; it becomes a platform of purpose.
Good women lead not just with vision but with virtue. Their strength is not in domination but in direction. They make decisions that heal the wounded, lift the forgotten, and restore faith in governance.
ACP Tanaruno's character reflect what Proverbs 31:26 says: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Her kindness does not weaken governance; it strengthens it with empathy.
When women with impeccable values lead, corruption declines, accountability improves, and the culture of service replaces the culture of self.
"No wonder. ACP Tanaruno Anthonia Folashade was listed as one of the 10 intelligent Nigerian Police Officers serving with Honour and 10 Nigerian Phenomenon Women with Impeccable Values in the Brain Magazine." - Mr Olaseni Onadiji, LASTMA
Standing Tall Among Equals
While many women in uniform strive to survive in a male-dominated profession, ACP Tanaruno thrives. Her strength is not in competition but in conviction.
She carries herself with the calm assurance of Esther; bold before kings yet humble before God. Her balance between discipline and compassion makes her a rare breed. “She commands with her head but leads with her heart.”
Among equal women, she stands tall because she has learned that submission does not reduce strength; it refines it. At home, she humbly calls her husband the Inspector General of the House, showing that she wears her authority with wisdom, not arrogance.
In the barracks and the boardroom alike, she is respected because she walks the talk; proving the old adage, “A good tree is known by its fruit.”
A Call for Higher Service
In a gathering filled with testimonies, one respected voice declared, “This woman deserves more than a celebration; she deserves an elevation.”
Indeed, ACP Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade embodies the virtues that qualify her for greater responsibility; not just as an officer but as a national asset.
Her track record of integrity, accessibility, and compassion places her in a league deserving of promotion beyond the rank of Commissioner of Police to Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).
For in her, the Force sees hope. The society sees balance. And heaven sees purpose.
As Isaiah 60:1 declares, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Her light indeed shines; not just in Agbara, but across the Nigerian policing landscape.
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| ACP Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade with Publisher and editor-in-Chief, The Brain Magazine and Glintsightv |
In a world desperate for trustworthy leaders, ACP Tanaruno Kehinde Anthonia Folashade stands as a living proof that “when grace speaks, greatness listens.”
She is a faithful officer, a fervent believer, a fearless reformer, and a friendly neighbour; woman beyond the badge, whose legacy is written not in files, but in lives.
As Nigeria and the world celebrate her, one truth remains constant: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18).
