Mba, Owohunwa switch Commands, as police redeploy DIGs, AIGs, CPs ahead 2023 polls

Ahead of the forthcoming 2023 General Elections, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the immediate posting and redeployment of several Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) to new Force Departments, Commands, and Formations ‘in line with his manpower development policy of placing round pegs in round holes.’

This is also as two senior police officers earlier rumoured to have been earlier posted to head the Lagos and Ogun states’ Commands have now switched roles in a move confirming their widely reported redeployment, last month.

While, CP Frank Mba and CP Idowu Owohunwa were, penultimate week, widely reportedly to have been redeployed to head the Lagos and Ogun Commands as commissioners, respectively, which was later denied by the Force, the new postings by the IGP Baba now sees both officers head in different directions instead; to Lagos for CP Owohunwa, replacing CP Abiodun Alabi and to Ogun State for CP Mba.

A statement confirming the latest development issued, Tuesday, by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said DIG Danmallam Mohammed has been redeployed to the Department of Finance and Administration.

According to the statement, other movements include; DIG Department of Training and Development – AIG Hafiz M. Inuwa to DIG Department of Research and Planning; AIG Aji A. Janga, to DIG Department of Operations – AIG Adeleke A. Bode.

Also, AIG Habu Sani Ahmadu has been posted as Force Secretary while AIG Shuaya’u Lafia Abdulyari assumes office as the AIG in charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

“Similarly, the following Senior Police Officers have been posted to also take up the duties and responsibilities of the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Zonal Police Commands as indicated against their names –

AIG Police Mobile Force  –  CP Matthew Akinyosola

AIG Zone 6 Calabar  – CP Jonathan Towuru

AIG Zone 2 Lagos – CP Sylvester A. Alabi

AIG Zone 11 Osogbo – CP Akande Sikiru Kayode

AIG Zone 17 Akure – CP Abimbola Adebola Shokoya

“In line with the IGP’s mandate and strategies to strengthen the operational structures of state commands, the Police Boss has equally ordered the provisional posting of the following Commissioners of Police to Commands indicated below pending the approval of the Police Service Commission;

CP Adamawa State – CP Adebola A. Hamzat

CP Ogun State – CP Emeka Frank Mba

CP Taraba State – CP Suleiman A. Yusuf

CP Lagos State – CP Idowu Owohunwa

CP Ebonyi State – CP Faleye E.S. Olaleye

“The IGP has therefore charged the newly posted officers to hit the ground running to ensure the mission, vision, and policy statements of his administration are effectively complied with in the areas of crime-fighting, public cooperation, and safety.

“He also called for support and cooperation from members of the public to enable the newly posted senior officers to perform optimally on their mandate.

“The posting is with immediate effect,” the statement read.

It would be recalled that, penultimate week, amid reports claiming the purported appointment of Mr Frank Mba as the new commissioner for Lagos, the state Police Command clarified that Mr. Abiodun Alabi remains in charge.

State Command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who issued the clarification, Friday, in a Twitter statement, said it ‘for the avoidance of doubt, no Commissioner of Police has been posted to Lagos State.’

Reports which went viral, had claimed that CP Mba, a one-time spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command, had been deployed by the Inspector General of Police Mr Usman Alkali Baba, as the new commissioner for the state.

However, making the clarification, the Lagos Command described the viral reports as a waste of valuable time.’

“The Lagos State Police Command has been inundated with requests for clarification on the status of the Commissioner of Police in the Command.

“We wish to state categorically that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State is still CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc, mnim, psc.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no Commissioner of Police has been posted to Lagos State.

“Members of the public are, therefore, urged to disregard fake news making the rounds that a new Commissioner of Police has been deployed to Lagos State Police Command.

“It is hoped that this clarification would halt the barrage of calls to officers of the Command which has resulted in needless distraction and waste of valuable time,” the statement read.

It would be recalled that the report claimed that the IGP Baba had redeployed two senior police officers as commissioners to Lagos and Ogun states; CP Mba to Lagos and CP Idowu Owohunwa, respectively.

Mba who is presently the Commissioner of Police, Border Patrol Unit, at the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, had also previously served in Lagos as the State Criminal Investigation Department SCID Panti in Yaba. While, CP Owohunwa is presently the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to the IGP Baba in Abuja.

Meanwhile, another report had claimed that the appointment of Idowu and Mba were actually recommendations made by IGP Baba to the Police Service Commission (PSC).

IG Baba, it was claimed had recommended to the PSC the appointment of CP Mba as the next Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, as well as, CP Owohunwa for the Ogun Command.

While CP Frank Mba, former Force Public Relations Officer, is the current Commissioner of Police in charge Federal Border Patrol branch at the, CP Owohunwa is currently the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.

A letter conveying the recommendations from the IGP to this effect dated January 24, 2023, and signed by the Force Secretary, AIG Hafiz Inuwa was delivered to the PSC for activation.

According to the letter, the postings are part of a strategy being put in place by the IGP to strengthen the strategic and operational readiness of the Police force in Lagos and Ogun commands.

“I am directed to humbly write and forward the proposed posting of the under-mentioned commissioners of police to State Commands indicated against their names for the Commission’s kind consideration and approval.

“The Inspector General of Police is deploying the under-mentioned Commissioners of Police to strengthen the strategic and operational control of the commands,” the letter read.