LAGOS MAY 4TH (URHOBOTODAY)-A major shakeup in the Delta State Police Command may be causing ripples in the state as 62 Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), including other unit heads, have been redeployed to states in northern Nigeria.
The redeployed officers, most of southern origin, are to serve in Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Yobe, Kogi among other states.
It was further learnt that these officers have been replaced with their northern counterparts.
A copy of the transfer list sighted by The Nation indicated that most of the redeployed officers are within the ranks of the Chief Superintendents of Police (CSPs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs).
It was dated April 30, 2020 and signed by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Alkali Baba Usman, a former commissioner of police in Delta State.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had ordered the transfer of the officers, demanding disciplinary actions against officers who fail to resume at their new posts on or before May 29.
The circular reads: “The Inspector-General of Police has ordered the transfer of the following officers from Delta State Command to commands indicated against their names.
“The IGP has noticed flagrant disregard to lawful orders exhibited by officers on transfer to commands/formations. Officers who intentionally decide not to report on or before 29th May, 2020 will be queried”.
According to sources, CP Inuwa claimed that the transfer was as a result of the over-stay of the officers in their respective divisions with many of them allegedly becoming unproductive.
Some security operatives have however faulted the development.
The Civil Society Groups (CSOs) are alleging ethnic play by the state police chief, noting that some of the affected officers had barely spent a year in the state.
The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), while issuing seven days to the IGP to reverse the transfer and effect it across the six geo-political zones, threatened a mass protest.
The national vice president, Comrade Prince Taiga described the action as questionable and unconstitutional.
He added: “We don’t understand what the IGP is trying to do, is he trying to bring in Boko – Haram or Herdsmen to the South-South?
“We have not witnessed anything like this for the past twenty (20) years. This is a one sided transfer.
“The officers that were transferred were basically from the Southern, Eastern and Western part of the country. The transfer did not cut across the 6 zones and it was made base on self interest.
“We are not against redeployment, but anything worth doing should be well done. This redeployment is unacceptable. It is one sided. IGP should make the redeployment cut across the six geo-political zone.
“We are giving the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Adamu seven days to reverse the transfer or there will be mass protest,” Taiga said.
When contacted, Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa ‘confirmed’ the development but refused to comment on the issue.
He said: “this is an internal administrative matter and it is not meant for the consumption of the public. It is an organisational matter, but people are trying to tribalize it.
“So, I’m not ready to comment on that. It is very unfortunate that matters like this will be tribalised.”
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