1,260 policemen from south-west protest ‘lopsided’ transfer to northern states

 At least 1,260 policemen from South-west Nigeria are protesting against their transfer to Northern states

- The policemen say they are not happy because they are not treated equally with their Northern counterparts

- They say their transfer is a lopsided one that attracts no incentives

At least 1,260 policemen from the six South-west states of Nigeria have frowned against their transfer to Northern states, especially the Northeast, where Boko Haram insurgency is rampant.

According to a report on Vanguard, the policemen are unhappy because they are allegedly not treated equally with their Northern counterparts.

1,260 policemen from south-west protest ‘lopsided’ transfer to northern states

In a signal issued by AIG Abdul Bude from the police force headquarters in Abuja and dated December 24, with reference No CB 4770/FS/FHQ/ABJ/Vol. 5/232, the affected policemen have been mandated to assemble in Kaduna on January 4, 2017.

Though, the security agents are aware that their primary duty is to protect lives and property, they are not comfortable with the way the transfer which dates back to 1997 is being handled.

A source disclosed that the transfer carried out in 1997, 2003 and 2015 had recorded heavy casualties among the policemen from the South-west due to inadequate facilities.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one of the affected policemen claimed that their northern colleagues who are equally transferred at the same time are treated as sacred cows because despite disobeying the police authorities, by shunning the transfer, still get to collect their salaries.

He said: “Lives of several policemen from the South West that were transferred in the past had been wasted by the insurgents.”

He noted that other grievances of the aggrieved policemen include non-provision of vehicles to convey them to their new stations; non-provision of accommodation and other welfare packages, language barrier and non-familiarity with the northern terrain.

He said: “Since they started the transfer, lives of several policemen of South West extraction have been wasted because when they transfer them, the authority would not provide necessary facilities such as money, accommodation which make them prone to attacks by the insurgents.

“We are not happy at all. This transfer was earlier stopped by the National Assembly and a powerful politician from the South West in 2015. It is the same policemen that are being transferred now. We knew this because their transfer letters bore their former ranks under the former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.”

The security officer said that with the transfer, the police authorities went against of an earlier document which states that no policeman should be transferred outside his zone of origin.

Meanwhile, some Nigerians have called on the federal government to take action against former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, after police detectives recovered no fewer than 30 vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force from the former IGP and other retired senior police officers.