Mass transfer hits Edo Police Command for failing to arrest attackers of APC chieftains

By ABIRHIRE THOMAS

For lacking the will to arrest the suspects responsible for attacks on Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Monday Okpebholo, Senatorial Candidate for the September 21 election and court-reinstated Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu, in Benin City recently, Edo State Police Command has been hit with mass transfer of officers.

The recent development was the removal of the Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye, and his subsequent replacement with CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo, who officially took over the Command in Benin City, the state capital, on Tuesday August 13, 2024.

Others so far affected are the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of investigations, DCP Igbine and the Command Public Relations Officer (PRO), SP Chidi Nwabuzor, who have been moved to Lagos and Delta State, respectively.

A dependable source at the command hinted that the Commissioner Adegboye’s transfer is part of mass posting that is presently rocking the state police Command.

Sources told The Nigerian Tribune that the lack of arrest of suspects responsible for the crime by investigators has reportedly contributed to the decision for these high-level transfers.

The ongoing adjustments are also anticipated to bolster security ahead of the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State.

This reshuffle is also believed to be part of a broader effort by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, to revitalise the state police Command for improved service delivery.

The recent changes come in the wake of a politically motivated incident involving the killing of a police orderly assigned to Senator Okpebholo by political thugs at the Benin Airport gate on Thursday, July 18th, 2024.

Recall that on July 18, 2024, some suspected political thugs attacked Senator Monday Okpebholo and court-reinstated Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu while exiting the Benin Airport, shortly after they arrived from Abuja.

In the attack, the gunmen killed an Inspector of Police, Onu Akon, an orderly to Okpebholo and injured many others.

Then Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, said on Monday July 22 that those fingered in the bloody attack had fled the state.

The commissioner, who failed to mention the names of the suspects under investigation, assured the public that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.