Lagos, Nigeria—The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, has passed away. Ayilara, who was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, died in the early hours of Thursday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, according to reports from The Nation.

Sources close to the family disclosed that Ayilara underwent surgery for prostate cancer on Wednesday but sadly succumbed to complications just hours after the procedure. “We are very sad to inform you that our friend, brother, and family, the Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, is dead,” the family was quoted as saying.

A senior police officer in Akwa Ibom State, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to address the matter publicly, also confirmed the tragic news of Ayilara’s passing.

Efforts by PUNCH Online to obtain further confirmation from the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered Thursday morning.

Ayilara had a distinguished career in the Nigeria Police Force, having been unveiled as the acting Commissioner of Police in Lagos in November 2023 while serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department. He took over from AIG Idowu Owohunwa at that time.

In February 2024, Ayilara was deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to lead the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, a role he held until his untimely demise.

The news of his death has left the police community and his family in deep mourning, as they come to terms with the loss of a dedicated officer who served his country with distinction.