Some officers of the Nigeria Police Force have engaged in murmuring and bickering against the Inspector- General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, over what they called ‘witch hunting and injustice’ in recent transfer and postings across the country.
Although the IGP in consultation with the Police Service Commission has the sole power to transfer or post any officer of the Force, but protest seems to have greeted recent postings of officers.
While some people complained that the IGP has flooded strategic commands and units with his ‘kinsmen’ from Niger State, others alleged that he has embarked on vendetta against officers who have hope of ascending the highest position in the force in future.
Some of them are protesting the deployment of the Assistant Inspector- General of Police (AIG), Zone 2, Abdulmajid Ali to Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Ali who had barely spent 2 months in the zone was replaced with the former Commissioner of police in Lagos, Aderanti, who would be graduating soon from the Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos.
According to the aggrieved policemen, “We have never seen such remarkable improvement in the zone before now. We are protesting because we are sure that he is a victim of dirty politics and favouritism which will not augur well for the police. Since he assumed duties here, he commenced massive training of officers and men of the zone by establishing a tactical training ground in Ogun and Ikorodu in Lagos State. He also set up three zonal intervention squad to track kidnappers, thereby bringing sanity to the zone.
“As soon as he assumed duties, he embarked on a cleansing exercise that led to the transfer of no fewer than 250 erring officers and men out of the zone which has about 650 policemen. These were our colleagues that have over-stayed in the zone and their activities had continued to be inimical to the efficient and effective performance of their duties. After that, he set up a monitoring unit and X- Squad to check the excesses of those still there.
“We are therefore calling on the IGP to reconsider the posting in view of the fact that we have seen a new dawn in the volatile zone and his removal would dampen the spirit of handwork which he planted in us, “they stated.
