Days To Poll, Imo Gets New CP In Major Police Shakeup

With two days to the off-cycle governorship polls, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has deployed a new commissioner of police to Imo State.

In a statement released on Thursday, Force spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi announced that Danjuma Aboki had been deployed as the new police commissioner in Imo state by the IGP.

Elections are scheduled to be held in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States. While the incumbent Imo governor, Hope Uzodimma and his Bayelsa counterpart, Senator Duoye Diri are seeking re-election on November 11, outgoing Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, has anointed his Ahmed Ododo as the candidate for his ruling party – the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Already, there are concerns and allegations raised by organised labour, the opposition and civil society organisations regarding the neutrality of the erstwhile CP, Mohammed Barde.

Egbetokun also “ordered the posting and redeployment of 40 Senior Police Officers to various Commands and Formations in the country.”

The senior officers comprise 14 Assistant Inspectors General of Police and 26 Commissioners of Police and have been charged to help maintain a professionally competent, service-driven, rule-of-law compliant, and people friendly Police Force.

Besides Imo, the IGP also deployed a former commander of the influential Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Tunji Disu, as the new CP in Rivers State.

Disu replaces Nwonyi Emeka, as the new police boss in the oil-rich state. The baton change comes barely three days after youths in the state protested and demanded Emeka’s redeployment.

The protest followed reports that some police officers threatened to kill the State Governor, Siminalaye Fubara, and shot at him when he went to assess the extent of damage done to the state House of Assembly chambers which got burnt overnight.

Disu’s new appointment came barely seven months after he was promoted alongside 32 others from the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to Commissioner of Police (CP) and was subsequently appointed by the IGP as his Principal Staff Officer (PSO), leading and coordinating the security team attached to the police chief’s office and others.