POWER PLAY IN POLICE: Intrigues, inside story of how Edgar’s handover was stopped

By Juliana Francis

• ‘His closeness to new IG didn’t play role in stoppage of handover’
• ‘The new IG wants to reassess situation before taking decision’

Lagos State is a melting pot where the sublime and the ridiculous exist side by side. The Centre of Excellence is never short of dramas and the latest in these unending spectacle unfolded earlier in the week in the full glare of bemused citizens. 

On that day, specifically Tuesday, January 15, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi was supposed to handover the baton of leadership to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, but a phone call from the Force Headquarters stopped the ceremony, retaining Imohimi as the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, while compelling Egbetokun to move back to his former office.

It is worthy to note, that the call came some minutes after Mohammed Adamu’s decoration as the new Inspector General of Police. “On the day that Adamu was decorated, was also the day that Edgal was supposed to handover. But even on that day, Edgal was just delaying, nobody knew why. It was as if he was waiting for something. And then the phone call came. After he listened to the caller, he handed the phone to Egbetokun, who also listened. We are, however, not sure whether the phone call was directly from the new IG himself or he gave directives to a senior police officer to stop the handover ceremony,” said a police source.
A lot of forces were at play, with the incoming Inspector General of Police Adamu and outgoing IG, Ibrahim Idris, displaying massive power play between the new and old order. The new order triumphed. The seat of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police is and had always been a coveted one. Most CPs often find it difficult to relinquish power whenever it is time to hand over the reins of power. The seat comes with glory, power and influence. The desires of every ambitious policeman. It will be recalled that Imohimi was appointed as the Lagos State Commissioner of Police in a controversial circumstances and during a controversial era.

His appointment came just when many policemen were beginning to grumble that their colleagues were allegedly buying promotions, making junior officers to become senior, and senior officers to become junior. The Police Service Commission (PSC) and Idris were fingered to be those selling promotions to policemen not qualified or due for such ranks. The PSC and Idris repeatedly denied the allegation and nothing was proved against them. Imohimi was accused and alleged to be among those that bought his promotion. It was further alleged that his classmate, the sitting governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, paid for him. It all turned out to be mere allegations, which no one, even policemen that wrote a series of petition against Imohimi, couldn’t prove. In August 2017, Imohimi was appointed the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
He replaced Fatai Owoseni. Before then, he was Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Lagos State Police Command, working directly under Owoseni. Before Imohimi took on the mantle of leadership, Lagos State was in the grip of blood suckers called Badoo cult groups. These cult groups killed women, men and children. Nobody was spared.
The Badoo cult groups had a pattern and signature. Even as a DCP, Imohimi led an operation to Ikorodu area of the metropolis, into Badoo cult enclave, beginning the demystification of the cult groups. He was daring and treaded even were angels feared to. While many of his seniors were said to be seething over his promotion and appointment, Imohimi knew it was up to him to prove himself.
Without wasting time, he hit the ground of Lagos State running. He tackled the Badoo cult with a ferociousness that was electrifying, declaring alleged sponsors and supporters wanted. He wormed his way into the hearts of many Lagosians and security watchers. He then focused on issues that had to do with children and women.
Many people may not like Imohimi, describing him as rude and brash, but nobody could take it from him that he was one of the best and most hardworking CPs the state had ever had. As he was driving himself hard, working round the clock, he was also driving his men, making them crazy with fatigue. So many alleged corrupt policemen, especially members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) under his watch, were arrested, detained, defaulted and sometimes dismissed for misconduct. But while things were working out for Imohimi in the state, the same couldn’t be said for his benefactor, friend and classmate, Ambode. Party members were not too happy with Ambode for many reasons.
Ambode lost in the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries. Nobody needed a soothsayer to know that the political powers that be, had chosen and anointed Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the next governor of Lagos State. No matter how hardworking Imohimi was, the thinking was that some politicians in the state had trust issues with him. They knew how close he was to Ambode; they were uneasy. It is election year and chances should not be taken.
The thinking is that it was at this point that the plotting to oust Imohimi from the seat of power began, in order to bring in a trusted hand. The politicians needed just one mistake to take Imohimi out. The much needed reason soon came. The campaign rally of APC held on January 8, at Skypower Ground Ikeja, Lagos, turned bloody, with political thugs shooting and wielding machetes like they were in a Wild West Hollywood movie. Party supporters scampered for safety, while armed men, believed to be members of National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW), unleashed hell. Many people were injured, including journalists.
MC Oluomo, a strong member of NURTW and supporter of the APC was stabbed after he mounted the podium to dance. Ambode and Sanwo- Olu were guarded and guided off the venue in a human-shield. There was outrage that such a bloody drama occurred just a few walks away from the Lagos State Police Command, where Imohimi has his office. Many of the party people alleged Imohimi, deliberately working against the party, didn’t secure the venue properly. A police source, who spoke with our reporter after the phone call that retained Imohimi as CP Lagos, disclosed: “The transfer of Edgal is just political. APC used the MC Oluomo case to attempt to remove him. The truth, however, is that policemen, operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence corpse were all there. Why did they pick only on Edgal as not doing his job? It’s all about politics.”

As the plot to kick out Imohimi thickened, the gods were preparing to usher the IG, Idris, out of Louise Edet House. He had reached the mandatory 35 years in service and the hope that President Muhammadu Buhari might extend his tenure was dashed. There are speculations that the APC leadership had already reached out to Idris. Just as Idris was taking a bow to leave the stage for Adamu, he played a fast one. He made a series of transfers; one of those transfers was Imohimi.
He was transferred to the Explosive Ordinance Unit at the Police Headquarters, Abuja. He was to resume immediately, while Egbetokun was to take over. Imohimi’s transfer attracted a lot of outrage among many Lagosians. Those who knew he was hardworking and had done well in terms of security didn’t care about party politics and wanted him to stay.
Shockingly,among those that cheered his transfers were policemen. “Imohimi has put many policemen and women in detention because of misconduct. In fact, right now there are some of them still in detention in command cell for stealing. They were happy when they heard he had been transferred. SARS were not happy about his transfer.
SARS men like him because he likes them. They know he likes them. He gives SARS a lot of supports. Edgal is a disciplinarian. Once you understand that, you can work with him. There are also some senior officers, who don’t like him,” said a police source. While Idris was penning down names of those to transfer, the Presidency had pencilled down three names of those likely to be the next IG. Adamu was among those picked. The lot however fell on Adamu. Imohimi, who knew how to play the game of political intrigues, had already heard that Adamu, his course mate, was one of those pencilled down. When Adamu was selected, Imohimi’s joy knew no bounds. He quickly reached out to him. And Adamu, with a simple phone call, stopped the handover ceremony in Lagos.
The move caused a shockwave, which rippled throughout the nation. It was a master move in a chessboard game. Egbetokun, miffed, left in a huff, while Imohimi’s laugh came last. When the call came, many had wondered who it came from. It was later discovered that Adamu had played his first hand, testing the swiftness of power. The handover, which commenced about 3pm, was about to go into full swing when Imohimi received the phone call. After receiving the call, Imohimi looked at the faces of policemen, Egbetokun and journalists and said: “The status quo remains! There’s no change of guard for now.” Before the call, Imohimi had expressed shock at the number of journalists that came to witness the handover ceremony.
Earlier, he had cleared the office of his personal effects and was showing Egbetokun the place that would soon be his office. Speaking after the phone call, Imohimi said: “There is no change of guard for now. I remain the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. I’m sure that Kayode Egbetokun is an old timer in the command.
Our first job as policemen is to obey orders and directives. We were about concluding the handover and taking over procedure when we were instructed by our bosses from Abuja to suspend action for now. There is no change of guard for now. Of course, we will keep the press in touch with latest development.”
Egbetokun, who was standing beside Imohimi when he made the comment, tried to look unruffled. He calmly returned to the seat he had been sitting before the tour of ‘his new office’ commenced. Clearly uneasy as whispers re-echoed, Egbetokun walked out of the office, made a beeline for his car which was parked downstairs and drove off, followed by his escorts. Egbetokun was said to have parked his car right at the parking spot reserved for only Lagos State Commissioner of Police. In fact, he and Imohimi parked their cars on the spot, which is meant for just one car.
The two cars appeared to be fighting for right of space, which symbolically mirrored the dispositions of Imohimi and Egbetokun. The news that Imohimi remains the number policeman in the state travelled like wildfire. Senior policemen, who were waiting to have a meeting with Imohimi in the Mohammed Abubakar Conference Hall, were the first to erupt into shouts of joy and jubilation. Policemen attached to Imohimi’s convoy shot four times into the air to celebrate the news. One of the policemen got injured in the course of the celebration. To underscore the fact that his allowing Imohimi to maintain his former position was nothing personal, Adamu reportedly said that the status quo should be maintained while he carries out proper investigations into the last minute transfers made by his predecessor. Imohimi turned out to be the cat with nine lives. A policeman disclosed: “Adamu and Edgal were course mates. In fact, when Edgal was Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations, Lagos State Command, Adamu used to visit him. They are very close.”
A senior police officer noted: “Edgal made moves to cancel the posting through the new IG because they are course mates. They were appointed together in1986 and did training together. The new IG directed that the status quo be maintained pending his reassessment of the whole situation. This is why the posting was reversed.” Describing the new IG and mentioning his intervention in Imohimi’s case, a senior officer said: “The IG is a calm, target driven officer with good disposition. He has spent a large part of his active period in the police with Interpol. He also served at Interpol Headquarter in Lyon, France, for more than five years and left a good impression of the country and the Nigerian Police Force. To the best of my knowledge, he had never held a position as a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) or Area Commander. Even if Edgal is the new IG’s course mate, I don’t think it counted in his decision to suspend Edgal’s transfer. A series of transfer, demobilization done in the eve of Idris exit from the Force were cancelled as many believed it may have been myopically driven.”

Egbetokun is said to be a former Chief Security Officer to Bola Asiwanju Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, powerful and influential, believed to be the brain behind Lagos successful politics. Egbetokun was further alleged to have been picked by Tinubu to become the next Lagos State Commissioner of Police, which Adamu, whether knowingly or not, truncated. Egbetokun, described as a nice, fine and intelligent officer was minding his job as the Deputy Commandant, Nigeria Police College, Ikeja Lagos, when he was appointed the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. The dream, however, was a stillborn. Right now, Adamu seems to hold all the aces, but one wonders how long Imohimi will be allowed to hold forth in Lagos State.