Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), on Thursday, expressed doubt about the feasibility of the recent order for the withdrawal of police officers attached to very important persons (VIPs).
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to all VIPs across the country with immediate effect but retained those attached to government houses, President of the Senate and Speaker House of Representatives.
This was contained in a police wireless message sent on Wednesday, as addressed to state Commissioners of Police (CPs).
However, Convener of the Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, said the IGP’s directive was not new because “we have been witnessing such directives by different IGPs ordering the withdrawal of Policemen from VIPs and I don’t think it would be different because almost half of the nation’s Police Force is controlled by big men and companies.”
While the Co-Convener of the Centre For Liberty, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, in regards to the IGPs directive said all Police formations across the country were under the VIPs’ influence in one way or the other, the IGP might not muster the will to achieve the order without major reforms.
A former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Aguata Federal Constituency, Anambra State from 1999-2007, Nze Chidi Duru, said most police divisional offices generate funds for their daily operations.
