Insecurity: IG orders immediate transfer of 1001 officers out of Lagos

…over 5000 rank and files to leave

Juliana Francis and Stanley Ihedigbo

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate transfer of 1001 senior policemen out of Lagos State.

According to police sources, the move is connected with Adamu grand plans to stem the escalating tide of insecurity that had enveloped the country.

It is also believed that most of these policemen have made some state their comfort zones and running their personnel businesses instead of policing.

After this phase of transfer, the IGP is also expected to transfer rank and file police personnel out of Lagos.

In a signal dated May 2, Adamu instructed that the 1001 officers should be warned and released to head to their new commands immediately. Zamfara State, which had been caught in mindless bloodletting, will be receiving over 50 policemen from Lagos. Incidentally, that happened to be the largest number in the transfer list.

At least 22 officers, among the 1001 will report to Abia State. Adamawa State 43, Akwa Ibom, 11, Anambra State, nine, Bauchi State 31, Benue State 32, Borno State 24, Balyesa State 14, Cross River State, 20, Delta State 10, Ebonyi State, 43, Ekiti State 42, Enugu State 29, Federal Capital Territoty (FCT) five, Gombe State 24, Imo State 30, Jigawa State 34, Kebbi State 47, Kaduna State 35, Kogi State 23, Kano State 32, Katsina State 41, Kwara State 20, Nasarawa State 22, Niger State 14, Ondo State 14, Osun State 26, Oyo State 41, Plateau State 32, Rivers State 37, Sokoto State 29, Taraba State 40, Yobe State 35 and Zamfara State 53.

The ranks of those affected are Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Superintendent of Police (SP) and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).

Right now, new officers from other state commands are now in Lagos and are already beginning to occupy their new offices.

A police source said: “This is just the first phase and it only had to do with senior officers. The second phase is going to be rank and files. At least between 5000 and 10,000 will be moved out of Lagos.  This present IGP appears to be serious. The good thing about his leadership is that immediately you are transferred, you must leave. There’s nothing like collecting money in order to upturn transfer.”

The New Telegraph Newspaper on April 13 had exclusively reported that Adamu had mapped out plans to check insecurity in the country and redundancy in the police.

Adamu in a signal in April had ordered policemen who have spent four years at Force Headquarters, to be moved out to Commands and police stations, to complement depleted and depleting man-power.

This present move of 1001 police officers out of Lagos is still part of the master plan.

All zonal commands in the country are also expected to move out many of their policemen to commands, from there to area commands and divisions.

An inside source disclosed that it has been discovered that many policemen, especially senior officers, work their ways to Force Headquarters and Zonal commands, and end up doing redundant.

This directive came on the heels of Nigerians complaining about resurgence of insecurity in different parts of the country.

The source disclosed that many of these policemen, who work in the Force headquarters and zonal commands, are allegedly, ‘invisible.’ They are not often seen or available for police work. They are allegedly more interested in running their personal businesses and travelling outside of the country for relaxations.

The source noted: “There had been several complaints from area commands and divisions that they lacked man-powers. The IG is now moving people from Force Headquarters Louise Edet House, Abuja and state commands to area commands and divisions. Many policemen usually work their ways to Force Headquarters and Zonal commands, in order to stay idle. Do you know that most of those working at Force Headquarters, Abuja and zonal commands do not go to work on Saturdays and Sundays? They leave office around 4pm on week days and even on public holidays, they wouldn’t go to work. Many of them are redundant. Most times, they will report to the office in the morning and then, a few hours later, they leave. They have finished their own work for that day.”

It is also gathered that the IG has also zeroed in on commands that have too many policemen, compelling the commissioners of police in charge of such states to spread out their men to areas without enough man-power.

“Zonal commands like zone 2, Onikan are expected to post policemen out to Lagos and Ogun states commands, and from there, these policemen will be posted to area commands and divisions. Meanwhile, those posted out from Force Headquarters will be moved to different commands in the country, including northern parts and then to area commands and divisions,” said the source.

 In a police signal dated 10^th April, the IG instructed thus: “In furtherance to efforts directed at addressing manpower redundancy and ensuring optimal administrative efficiency, while also enhancing the personnel base of the state commands towards strengthening their crime control capacity, the IG has approved the downsizing of the personnel profile of the headquarters, zonal headquarters and state commands headquarters with immediate effect.”

The signal further asked that the affected formations should commence the process of reducing their current personnel strength by not less than 30 percent across all ranks. “That is, they are to retain not more than 70 percent of their current personnel strength.”

It continues: “Those who have served four years and above in the Force Headquarters; this category of personnel must be redeployed out of Force Headquarters.”

Those also affected are, “Those adjudged to be redundant or lacking capacity to contribute meaningfully to the mandates of the departments.”

Since the signal, anxiety has mounted, with policemen worried about possible area of deployments. For years now, especially since the insurgency started, many policemen had done everything humanly, possible, including to bribe, in order to avoid being posted to the northern parts of the state or their comfort zones.