Apparently with the lack of arrest of suspects responsible for the attack on Senator Monday Okpebholo, Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship 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 is the removal of the Commissioner Funsho Adegboye, and the subsequent replacement with the newly deployed Commissioner, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, who officially took over the Command in Benin City, the state capital on Tuesday.
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.
“Investigations are ongoing to unravel the mystery surrounding the killing of the gallant officer and attempted murder of Okpebholo”, Adegboye assured
He said the command would not leave any stone unturned to fish out the perpetrators.
According to him, the police had dropped the invitation with their family members.
“If they fail to honour the invitation, appropriate legal procedure will be followed and this may include declaring them wanted,” he said.
It would be recalled that CP Funsho Adegboye assumed duty in Edo State on Friday, December 29, 2023 when his predecessor Mohammed Dankwara was sent on a course at NIPPS, Jos, Plateau State.
However, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, who is the 47th Commissioner of Police in Edo State, on arrival at about 2:16 pm on Tuesday, had a closed-door handover meeting with his predecessor CP Funsho Adegboye, who has been redeployed to Force Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
A statement made available to journalists by the Public Relations Officer for the Command, SP Moses Joel Yamu, revealed that until his present posting, Nemi Iwo was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Intelligence at the Force Intelligence Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
“CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo hails from Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, he holds a BA (Hons) Degree in History from University of Port-Harcourt and Masters in Industrial Relations from the University of Ibadan.
“He was enlisted into Nigeria Police Force in the year 1992 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and rose through the ranks.
“Over the last three decades in the Force, CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo has attended several Tactical and Leadership Courses both within and outside the Country,” the statement stated.
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