By Samuel Malik

Assistant Inspector General of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu is among 19 AIGs redeployed on Friday by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, just as 49 Commissioners were also moved around.

According to a statement issued by Abayomi Shogunle, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, the redeployments were caused by vacancies created by postings and retirements of senior officers.

Mbu, who courted so much controversy in the past, including a running battle with former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, manhandling of the Bring Back Our Girls Group and detention of a journalist for referring to him as “controversial”, before his posting as AIG Zone 2, Lagos, is now the Commandant, Police Staff College, Jos.

The AIGs that will oversee the security in the 12 zones across the country are Tambari Mohammed, AIG Zone 1, Kano; Bala Hassan, AIG Zone 2, Lagos, Mohammed Abubakar, AIG Zone 3, Yola; Yahaya Ardo, AIG Zone 4, Makurdi; Musa Daura, AIG Zone 5, Benin; Adisa Baba Bolanta, AIG Zone 6, Calabar; Bala Magaji Nasarawa, AIG Zone 7, Abuja; Lawal Tanko, AIG Zone 8, Lokoja; Usman Gwary, AIG Zone 9, Umuahia; Mohammed Gana, AIG Zone 10, Sokoto; Helen Kalafite Adeyemi, AIG Zone 11, Oshogbo and; Johnson Ogunsakin, AIG Zone 12, Bauchi.

Adenrele Shinaba will head the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano while Yerima Irimiya heads the Force maritime division. Edgar Nanakumo will be in charge of Works at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and Olufemi Adenaike will be in charge of Training and Development also at the headquarters. James Caulcrick has been named second-in-command of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, Abuja.

Thirty-seven of the 49 commissioners will be in charge of security in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, while others will head some departments both within and outside Abuja, including Special Fraud Unit, Intelligence, INTERPOL, Police Pension, etc.

In another development, the Nigeria Police Force has its first female spokesperson with the appointment of Olabisi Alofe Kolawole, an Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, to take over from Emmanuel Ojukwu, who has been deployed to Kogi state as Commissioner of Police.

Kolawole, who until her latest appointment was the Force Gender Adviser, holds a Bachelors degree in Law from Ogun State University and a Masters degree in Police Leadership and Management from the University of Leicester.

She has served in various capacities both in and outside the country, including United Missions in East Timor, Kosovo, Liberia, etc. and is part of the investigating team assisting the International Criminal Court in the investigations of sexual and gender-based violence.