In anticipation of the upcoming off-season elections on Saturday, November 11, the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has assured the redeployment of Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, amidst accusations of partisanship.
This announcement comes in the wake of growing pressure from various entities, including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Labour Party, and Civil Society Organisations, all of whom have called for Barde’s immediate removal.
The decision to redeploy Barde was made public by Egbetokun during a Channels Television programme titled “Peoples Town Hall On Election Security,” which aired on Sunday night.
Egbetokun said,
“We are aware that there are allegations against the Commissioner of Police in Imo. Before the elections, we’re changing the CP. This is not to say the CP has been found guilty. But for neutrality sake, we are changing the Commissioner of Police in Imo State.”
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The urgency for this action was further accentuated following the recent attack on the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, last Thursday. In response to the assault, the organized labor issued a strict five-day ultimatum demanding the state Commissioner of Police’s redeployment.
Echoing the sentiment, the Labour Party has thrown its weight behind the call for the immediate transfer of the CP, along with other officials allegedly implicated in the assault on Ajaero. The NLC and TUC, incensed by the incident, accused the Imo CP of complicity in the attack and set a five-day ultimatum for the Federal Government to effect his replacement.
The attack on Ajaero occurred while he was mobilizing workers for a protest over their unpaid salaries in Owerri on Wednesday.
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Following the incident, amidst widespread outrage, both the NLC and the TUC have accused the Imo CP of complicity in the attack, issuing a five-day ultimatum for the Federal Government to replace him. The occurrence has further fueled calls for action against those responsible for compromising public safety, stressing the importance of impartiality in law enforcement during critical political moments.
