Ahead of Nov 11 guber poll, IGP Egbetokun redeploys Imo CP Mohammed Barde
In preparation for the November 11 governorship election in Imo, the inspector-general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the redeployment of Mohammed Barde, the commissioner of police in the state.
The Informant247 had on November 1, reported how the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero was picked up from the Imo council secretariat of the NLC in Owerri by heavily armed police officers. He was said to have been beaten and blindfolded immediately after he was arrested by security operatives.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) and several civil society organisations (CSOs) had called for the removal of the commissioner over an assault on the NLC president.
However, the Imo police command denied that the NLC boss was arrested and brutalised by its officers, saying the police rescued Ajaero from a mob and he was taken into protective custody.
The IGP, while speaking in a town hall meeting on election security, on Sunday, said Barde will be removed as commissioner for the period of the election for the sake of neutrality.
“I am aware that there have been allegations on social media against the Commissioner of Police in Imo State; but for this election, we are changing the commissioner of police in Imo,” the IGP said.
“The fact that we are changing him may not be because he has been found guilty of those allegations but for neutrality’s sake, we are changing him for this election.”
