Aruga Joe Omokaro – Abuja

Tension is building up in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Undercover investigations by The SUPREME reveal that, IGP Kayode Egbetokun and Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) retired DIG Hashimu Argungu, allegedly jointly undermined the rules spelt out by the Police Act of 2020, in deploying Commissioners of Police to state commands.

Our discrete investigations reveal that, officers from the South South and from the South East are being marginalised in the Police.

This marginalisation, is said to be causing secret grumblings, with tension gradually building up in the Force.

According to the Police Act, the PSC Chairman or the IGP has powers to deploy or assign Commissioners of Police to state commands.

Number 12 (2) of the Act stipulates that “the Police Service Commission shall among the Commissioners of Police (CPs) appointed under subsection (I) assign Commissioner of Police to state commands and to the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).”

In the same vein, number 12 (4) stipulates that, “The Police Service Commission or the Inspector-General of Police in assigning or deploying, as the case may be, Commissioners of Police under this Section to Stare Commands, Departments or Units, shall reflect the principle of Federal Character as provided in the Constitution and under the relevant Act.”

However, in total disregard to the rules and regulations of the Police Act, regarding, deployment of CPs to state commands, Argungu and Egbetokun, either for their personal interests or for regional sentiments, approved and deployed CPs from the South West to about (9) nine states of the Federation.

Our discrete investigations further confirm that, the CP in charge of Rivers State, Delta, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are from the South West.
In addition, the CP in charge of Kwara State, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River and Plateau states, are also from the South West.

It is ironic to note that, the South South region is marginalised with only two CPs given two state commands.

Similarly, only one CP from the South East is heading a state command.

While the South West has about 10 CPs heading state commands, the North has about 23 CPs occupying state commands.

The lopsided deployments of the Commissioners of Police to state commands, by IGP Egbetokun from the South West and PSC Chairman, DIG Argungu from the Northern part of the country, favouring officers from their regions, is said to be arousing tension in the police. Similarly, their resented actions are giving people from the South South and from the South East the strong belief that President Bola Tinubu’s government is tilting to regional government.

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