by Ranti Joseph

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in-charge of Zone 6, Tunde Johnson Ogunsakin ordered the Commissioners of Police in-charge of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi and Cross River states to ensure the withdrawal of policemen attached to political appointees in their respective states.

He said the order was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, who had already withdrawn all previous approvals issued by him as more men are needed by the Police Commands during this electioneering period.

Ogunsakin, who spoke in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, during a meeting with the Commissioner of Police in the state, Dan Bature, and some senior police officers from the state command, to look into allegations levelled against C4I, a special unit of the Operations Department of the state Police Command, by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

“The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command and other Commissioners of Police in-charge Akwa-Ibom, Cross River and Ebonyi to immediately withdraw all officers attached to political appointees in line with the directive issued by the Inspector-General of Police. This is premised on the fact that the Inspector-General of Police has withdrawn all previous approvals issued by him as more men are needed by the Police Commands during this electioneering period. Anyone desirous of Police security should re-apply to the Commissioner of Police for a re-consideration based on the merit of his application and the need for deployment of Policemen during the forthcoming elections,” he said.

While ordering the C41 to stop posting its personnel to political appointees and very important personalities (VIPs), Ogunsakin also directed the special outfit to stop featuring in campaign rallies of any of the political parties in the state.

“The Police Officer who heads the C4I Unit, SP Cashmir Ihiezu must give daily situation report to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command every morning. The C4I Unit of the Department of Operations must continue to operate as a formation of the Rivers State Police Command and in that light must not take any action or make any deployment without the knowledge of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command. The C4I Unit of the Department of Operations should on no account post their officers to any political appointee or VIP. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations and the Officer-in Special Protection Unit (SPU) to take over all guard duties where the C4I unit was hitherto involved. The C4I unit should henceforth stop featuring in political campaigns. It is important to state that the directive of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 6 that the C4I Unit should not post their officers to any political appointee or guard duty is because of the need to make them concentrate on their conventional roles of crime prevention and detection in the metropolis and other parts of the state. Furthermore, it will also save them from being enmeshed in politics and avert allegations from any political party and politicians,” he added.

Janeth J