29th August, 2014
Cyriacus Izuekwe
There are indications that police officers attached to Lagos State Command, Southwest Nigeria are now living in fear over what may be their fate over the recent promotion and posting of senior police officers in Nigeria.
Following the retirement of former Inspector General Police, Mohammed Abubakar and appointment of acting IGP, Suleiman Abba, their have been series of promotions and postings of senior officers. The police promoted new DIGs and AIGs and posted them to different police zones in Nigeria.
This has changed the structural formation of police in Nigeria as many officers have relocated to other zones.
For instant, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko was promoted to AIG and posted to Zone 2, just like other officers.
The new Lagos Commissioner of police is yet to be announced by the police authority but certainly another CP will be posted to Lagos.
This is causing apprehension among the officers in Lagos command especially the unit heads who does not know whether the new CP will retain them at their duty posts or not.
When P.M.NEWS visited some Police Commands in Lagos policemen and officers were also in the dark as to who the next CP will be.
Some of the police officers who spoke to our reporter said their fate will be determined by the new CP who may reshuffle or re-assign them new posting.
A senior police officer told our reporter that the apprehension among police officers was normal because it has been a tradition that when a new CP comes, he would select those he feels he can work with and do away with others.
“There certainly will be sweeping changes and many people will be transferred or re-posted to other areas.”
He said some would be retained based on recommendation of the former CP and added that it is the prerogative of the new CP to select his team to achieve result in the command.