Owohunwa assumes duty as new Lagos police commissioner

Lagos Police Command has confirmed the assumption of duty of newly-deployed Commissioner to the state, CP Idowu Owohunwa.

CP Owohunwa takes over from immediate past commissioner, Abiodun Alabi, who has been promoted to an Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, in charge of Zone 2 with headquarters in Lagos.

The Lagos Command spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the development, Tuesday, via his verified Twitter handle (@BenHundeyin), said Owohunwa who hails from Kabba, in Kogi State was commissioned into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Officer (Course 19/1996) on August 15, 1996, after graduating with a Second Class (Upper Division) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He emerged as Overall Best Graduating Cadet Officer in Professional Studies at the Police Academy, Kano.

CP who studied as a British Government Chevening Scholar, also holds a Diploma in National Security Studies from the Centre for Strategic Studies, Galilee International management Institute, Kibuss Mizra, Israel and a Certificate in Terrorism Financing Investigation (TFI) from the London Metropolitan Police. He additionally holds a Diploma in Cybercrime Studies from the University of Virginia, USA.

Idowu is a graduate and Associate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Academy, Quanctico, Virginia, USA, among others.

Owohunwa was part of a major deployment across police Formations and Departments in the country, along with CP Frank Mba who was deployed to the Ogun State Command.

It would be recalled that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, had, February 7 ordered the posting and redeployment of 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 posted to head the Lagos and Ogun states commands switched roles in a move confirming their widely reported redeployment.

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, last 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.