Magu: Again, IGP redeploys senior police officers from EFCC

The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, has ordered a fresh round of redeployments involving senior police officers initially deployed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), PREMIUM TIMES can confirm.

The 16 affected senior officers include eight Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and eight Chief Superintendents of Police (CSPs). Those affected include zonal heads of the EFCC in Lagos, Abuja and Benin.

All the eight CSPs were redeployed from the EFCC to various police commands while the eight ACPs were also deployed to various commands with sources saying they are all being deployed from the EFCC.

READ ALSO: Magu not detained by Police – IGP Adamu

The redeployments, contained in two different memos from the police headquarters, are to take immediate effect.

“The Inspector-General of Police has ordered the de-secondment of the following officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to Zonal Command/ Formation indicated in their names below,” read the first memo dated August 4 and addressed to the Assistant Inspectors-General of the various police zones.

The CSPs, according to the document are “Abudulliahi Lawal from EFCC transferred to Maiduguri Borno State, Hamisu Dan-Usman, transferred to Yenegoa Bayelsa state.

“Malafiya Yakubu, transferred to Akwa Ibom state; Muhammed Akali, transferred to Akure, Ondo state; Dennis Nwanolue, to Katisina state; Umar Babaginda, transferred to Bayelsa;

“Abudulliahi Muhammed transferred to Interpol; Ibrahim Aliyu transferred to Maiduguri, Borno state; Usman imam to Bayelsa State; Akaniyenin Ezima, Ondo State; Mohammed Rabo, to Ondo; Durba Dugun to Katsina;

“Ibrahim Bappa, Katsina State, Lawrence Iwodi, Ondo, Ibrahim Maringa, Akwa Ibom; and Aminu Aliyu, Borno State.”

The eight ACPs redeployed, according to the second memo, include Usman Imam, Akaninyene Ezima, Mohammed Rabo, Garba Dungun, Ibrahim Bappa, Lawrence Iwodi, Ibrahim Miringa and Aminu Aliyu.

Senior police officers usually occupy senior positions at the EFCC while others serve as investigators. Junior police officers serve as security officials at EFCC buildings and facilities and also as a security cover for EFCC operatives when they go for arrests of suspects.

In recent weeks, many officials of the EFCC who are considered close to suspended EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu, have been suspended from office.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported last month how the IGP ordered the withdrawal of mobile police personnel attached to the commission, replacing them with new officers.

The presidential panel currently probing Mr Magu, for alleged corruption, had also ordered the withdrawal of several police officers working at the commission.

Mr Magu is being investigated by a panel headed by Ayo Salami, a former president of the Court of Appeal, over allegations of graft and insubordination levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Mr Magu was detained for 10 days upon his arraignment before the panel. After his arrest, allegations that he diverted billions of naira of recovered funds as well as the interests accruing from the funds circulated in the media.

Mr Magu has repeatedly denied the allegations and described them as baseless.

Frank Mba, the police spokesperson, could not be reached by our reporter at the time of this report as his line was switched off.