IG sends controversial Mbu to Lagos ahead of elections

Joseph Mbu

The Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has redeployed 14 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to various departments, zonal commands and formations of the force.

One of them is the AIG in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, who was moved to Lagos in what our correspondent gathered was informed by the general elections.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, however, said that   the exercise was due to the promotion of some senior officers and vacancies occasioned by retirements.

Mbu, a former   Rivers State Commissioner of Police, had a running battle with Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Shortly after he was transferred to the Federal Capital Territory as CP in September last year, he described himself as a lion who tamed ‘‘the leopard of Port Harcourt” in apparent reference to the Rivers State governor.

As the CP in charge of the FCT, he issued a directive banning the #BringBackOurGirls coalition from holding street protests, but he was overruled by the then IG, Mohammed Abubakar. The BBOG however sued the police and the case was decided in their favour.

Just last week, he threatened to “bring down” any community that killed policemen in the course of duty.

Others affected by the movements which took immediate effect are Aderenle Shinaba, who goes to Zone 4 in Makurdi, Benue State; Johnson Ogunsakin of   Training   and Development; Zone 6, Calabar in Cross River State; and Patrick Dokumor of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Jos in Plateau,       Zone 7, Abuja.

Ikemefuna Okoye of the Ogun State Command Command goes to   Zone 11, Osogbo in Osun State; Kalafite Adeyemi (Commandant of the   Police Staff College, Jos, Plateau State), was deployed to the   Maritime Force Headquarters; Jubrin Adeniji     of the Maritime FHQ was moved to the   2i/C Force Criminal Investigation Department, FHQ; and Olufemi Adenaike of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in Jos   to the   Training Unit of the FHQ.

Lawal Tanko of the Federal Operations was redeployed to the Police Mobile Force, FHQ, Abuja;   Ballah Nasarawa   of the   Intelligence Unit to the Police Staff College, Jos; and   Umaru Manko of Zone 2, Lagos to NIPSS Kuru.

Irimiya Yerima of NIPSS goes to the   Communication Department in FHQ, Abuja; and Mark Idakwo of   Zone 6, Calabar moves to Federal Operations, Abuja.

Those who were retained in their zones and formations are Tambari Muhammed,   AIG Zone 1, Kano;   Mohammed Abubakar, Zone 3, Yola; Musa Daura, Zone 5, Benin; Christopher Dega, Zone 8,Lokoja; Usman Gwarry, Zone 9, Umuahia; Bala Hassan, Zone 10,Sokoto; Mohammed Gana, Zone 12, Bauchi and Sule Mamman, AIG Force Secretary, Abuja.

Others are Adisa Bolanta, Police Academy; Edgar Nanakumo, Force Animal Branch; Sabo Ibrahim, Border patrol; Wilfred Obute, Armament FHQ; Ibrahim Maishanu, Force Info-tech; Yahaya Ardo, CTU, Abuja; and Buhari Tanko, Special Duty.

In the   statement by Ojukwu, Abba charged the affected officers to bring their experience to bear on their new postings and be more service-oriented in the discharge of their duties.”

He also urged the public to help the police in ensuring improved safety and security of the country.

Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of CP Adenike Fehintola Abuwa to the rank of AIG with immediate effect.

EU deploys election observers

The European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission for   next month’s general elections.

The EU, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that the mission would assess the elections based on the Nigerian electoral law and international principles.

The EU OM will be led by Santiago Fisas Ayxela, a member of the European Parliament, from Spain. Ayxela will arrive in Abuja   this week.

The union said that nine analysts   arrived in Abuja on January 6.

According to the regional body, a delegation from the European Parliament and EU diplomats in Nigeria will also join the mission on election days.

It quoted Ayxela as saying, “The EU EOM’s extended presence shows the EU’s commitment to the conduct of inclusive, transparent and credible elections in Nigeria. We don’t just focus on the election days, but on all aspects of the electoral process, including the arbitration of petitions long after voting is finished.”