Redeployment: Fear Grips Lagos Policemen As CP Allegedly Fight Back, Hand-Pick Posting

LAGOS JAUARY 21ST (NEWSRANGERS)-Days after a mid-drama reported to have played out at Lagos State Police Command between CP Imohimi Edgal, and Commissioner of police, Explosive and Ordinance Department (EOD), Kayode Egbetokun, over handing over of office, personnel have begun to express feeling of no confidence on the CP, who they claimed has tactically started going after their colleagues alleged of supporting his recent redeployment out of the state.
Their fear of the CP, since his return to the state, was centered on an alleged recent hand-pick redeployment of officers who were said to had expressed personal views on Edgar’s redeployment out of Lagos.
The policemen fear came barely a week after Egbetokun, who was expected to replace Edgal, resumed at the command for commencement of operations, but was prevented by the CP, arguing that the signal that announced his redeployment has been reversed.
Before embarking on the alleged tactical moves, Edgal, after his return, visited various formations including Rapid Response Squads (RRS) where he tasked personnel to re-dedicate selves towards boosting standard of security by going after any criminal in the state.
But against the CP’s visit to the formation were reported unconventional redeployments which had brought palpable fear among policemen in the state.
Aside those already redeployed, The Guild gathered that the commissioner has also commenced compilation of another fresh list of officers to suffer same fate after their stance on his redeployment.
The Guild gathered that about seven District Police Officers (DPOs) have been allegedly redeployed without official signal to the posting; rather, they learnt about the development through radio connected to all police stations.
According to sources close to the CP, the tactical move was to ensure Edgal removes policemen loyal to Egbetokun from the system.
One of the sources closed to the command disclosed to The Guild that officers were marked as loyalists of Egbetokun, linking their visit to the command on Tuesday to mean otherwise .
Through phone, the source disclosed the CP first target was a police women, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Yetunde Cardoso, identified as loyalist of Egbetokun, transferred from the State Criminal Investigative Department (CID) to Area ‘L’ Command in riverine axis.
The source hinted that Cardoso must have been redeployed due to her relationship with Egbetokun, adding that, the CP went as far redeploying the woman personal assistance, also to the riverine axis of the state.
Another police officer at the State Command disclosed that the DPO of Ogudu, who was never at the command during the mid-drama nor visit the command after Edgal redeployment was announced, also suffered same fate.
The source disclosed that there was never an official signal from the command on DPO’s redeployment, rather, he learnt of his new post through the command central radio, an announcement that caused panic within the station.
A policeman, who was not affected by the move, explained to the Guild that redeployment in Nigerian Police was normal and were often embarked upon to boost security.
But for another officer, such development could have different thing should such action be carried out to witch-hunt officers.
When calls were put through to the affected officers to have their reactions over the matter, they declined to comment, saying, their status do not have privilege to discussing with newsmen.
Meanwhile, Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Chike Oti, who spoke contrarily to the allegation, debunked the assertion, claiming that the Commissioner could never embarked on such, rather has majorly concentrated on policing within the state.
Oti stressed that redeployment of personnel was an internal affairs that does not concern the public, saying, any officer panicking must have embark on an act against the law.

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