Insecurity: Mass transfer looms in police
With the heightened state of insecurity in the country and to ensure the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections, the Inspector- General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has ordered a mass transfer of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.
The mass movement of officers from all parts of the country, which commences this week, however, is to be carried out in phases to avoid lapses.
The transfer of officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendents of Police ASP to Chief Superintendents of Police CSP, especially at the Force Criminal Investigation Department FCID , would kick-start the emergency measure.
According to investigations, transfer signal are awaiting dispatch from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to the affected states in the federation.
That of the inspectors and other ranks will follow immediately after.
Many of the affected officers, especially at the FCID, had not been transfered outside the department since they joined the police.
Before now, there had been complaints of ineptitude, corruption and shoddy handling of vital cases, including the release of prime suspects under questionable circumstances, against officers and men of this department.
Also to be affected in the first phase are officers attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Bureau FCIB and those of the states.
The department, whose major assignment is information and intelligence gathering, National Mirror learnt, had not met the expectations of the Federal Government and the police authorities following the high crime rate and the bomb blasts across the country.
The second phase of the deployment will cut across officers and men in the states, most of who have spent up to 12 years on the same beat.
Some of them have allegedly been found aiding and abetting crime. Meanwhile, all officers and men, who are moving out of the Police Mobile Force, must be transferred outside the state where they performed their duties.
Ringim gave the directive to enable the force properly monitor and supervise the activities of serving mobile officers and those demobilising as records had shown that some of these officers remained in the states where they served while others continued to wear uniforms.
Going by police regulations, a mobile officer is expected to spend a maximum of three years before disengagement.
He or she must not, however, exceed six years of two terms each in their entire police career.
In order to ensure that these directives are carried out to the letter, Ringim had stopped postings and transfers at the Force Headquarters.
It was also learnt that there had been instances where officers already dismissed or reprimanded rushed to Abuja where they allegedly "purchased" fresh postings to "juicy" areas or states.
According to sources, another cause for worry to the IG, based on complaints from top government quarters, is the meddlesomeness on land matters by very senior officers, especially at the Force Headquarters.
This has led to duplication of cases and unfavourable dispensation of justice as major prime suspects, even in murder cases, at the state commands allegedly become celebrated complainants once they found their way to the Force Headquarters where instructions are often given on behalf of the IG to the affected states to either release suspects in their hold or transfer the case files to the multiple departments at the headquarters.
From now, such cases, according to the IG, should be treated at the states and the zonal commands.
In one of the strategic meetings with senior officers, Ringim was said to have vowed that he was ready to confront the challenges facing the organisation.
Before now, some of the past IGs had always found it difficult carrying out any meaningful postings as they were often cancelled even before the official police signals were sent out.
The Postings have contributed to the high rate of crime, indiscipline, corruption and low morale among officers and men.
Similarly, the police boss is currently confronted with petitions from officers concerning the ongoing promotion exercise.
The petitions centre on omission of names, outright substitution, falsification of official records and fake qualifications.
Some of the qualified officers for promotion were allegedly substituted with names of unqualified personnel.
Some of those lapses were said to have been detected by the commandants of the colleges where the promotion courses were undertaken.
Some of the affected men and women reportedly absconded from their courses for fear of being apprehended while a few others caught were handed over to the authorities.
Reacting, the Force Public Relations Officer Olusola Amore, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the movement was part of the reorganisation plan of the IG and would affect officers who had spent five years and above in a particular beat.
Such officers, according to Amore, need to give room for others", noting that the IG needs total efficiency and commitment from every policeman in the country.
He added that Ringim was ready to change the face of police for good.
With the heightened state of insecurity in the country and to ensure the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections, the Inspector- General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has ordered a mass transfer of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.
The mass movement of officers from all parts of the country, which commences this week, however, is to be carried out in phases to avoid lapses.
The transfer of officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendents of Police ASP to Chief Superintendents of Police CSP, especially at the Force Criminal Investigation Department FCID , would kick-start the emergency measure.
According to investigations, transfer signal are awaiting dispatch from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to the affected states in the federation.
That of the inspectors and other ranks will follow immediately after.
Many of the affected officers, especially at the FCID, had not been transfered outside the department since they joined the police.
Before now, there had been complaints of ineptitude, corruption and shoddy handling of vital cases, including the release of prime suspects under questionable circumstances, against officers and men of this department.
Also to be affected in the first phase are officers attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Bureau FCIB and those of the states.
The department, whose major assignment is information and intelligence gathering, National Mirror learnt, had not met the expectations of the Federal Government and the police authorities following the high crime rate and the bomb blasts across the country.
The second phase of the deployment will cut across officers and men in the states, most of who have spent up to 12 years on the same beat.
Some of them have allegedly been found aiding and abetting crime. Meanwhile, all officers and men, who are moving out of the Police Mobile Force, must be transferred outside the state where they performed their duties.
Ringim gave the directive to enable the force properly monitor and supervise the activities of serving mobile officers and those demobilising as records had shown that some of these officers remained in the states where they served while others continued to wear uniforms.
Going by police regulations, a mobile officer is expected to spend a maximum of three years before disengagement.
He or she must not, however, exceed six years of two terms each in their entire police career.
In order to ensure that these directives are carried out to the letter, Ringim had stopped postings and transfers at the Force Headquarters.
It was also learnt that there had been instances where officers already dismissed or reprimanded rushed to Abuja where they allegedly "purchased" fresh postings to "juicy" areas or states.
According to sources, another cause for worry to the IG, based on complaints from top government quarters, is the meddlesomeness on land matters by very senior officers, especially at the Force Headquarters.
This has led to duplication of cases and unfavourable dispensation of justice as major prime suspects, even in murder cases, at the state commands allegedly become celebrated complainants once they found their way to the Force Headquarters where instructions are often given on behalf of the IG to the affected states to either release suspects in their hold or transfer the case files to the multiple departments at the headquarters.
From now, such cases, according to the IG, should be treated at the states and the zonal commands.
In one of the strategic meetings with senior officers, Ringim was said to have vowed that he was ready to confront the challenges facing the organisation.
Before now, some of the past IGs had always found it difficult carrying out any meaningful postings as they were often cancelled even before the official police signals were sent out.
The Postings have contributed to the high rate of crime, indiscipline, corruption and low morale among officers and men.
Similarly, the police boss is currently confronted with petitions from officers concerning the ongoing promotion exercise.
The petitions centre on omission of names, outright substitution, falsification of official records and fake qualifications.
Some of the qualified officers for promotion were allegedly substituted with names of unqualified personnel.
Some of those lapses were said to have been detected by the commandants of the colleges where the promotion courses were undertaken.
Some of the affected men and women reportedly absconded from their courses for fear of being apprehended while a few others caught were handed over to the authorities.
Reacting, the Force Public Relations Officer Olusola Amore, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the movement was part of the reorganisation plan of the IG and would affect officers who had spent five years and above in a particular beat.
Such officers, according to Amore, need to give room for others", noting that the IG needs total efficiency and commitment from every policeman in the country.
He added that Ringim was ready to change the face of police for good.
No comments:
Post a Comment