- Creates A New Maritime Command
Seven (7) Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) were on 13th March, 2013, redeployed to various Police Commands and Formations across the country, on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Mohammed, CFR, NPM, mni.
The officers affected by the redeployment exercise are AIG Jonathan Johnson who is posted to head Zone 6, comprising Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers State Police Commands with headquarters at Calabar. AIG Christopher Dega, fwc now heads Zone 8 – Lokoja which comprises of Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara State Police Commands. Zone 3 with headquarters in Yola and comprising of Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba State Police Commands, now have AIG Mohammed J. Abubakar, fwc, as its new head; while AIG Tambari Y. Mohammed, fwc is the new AIG Zone 9 composed of Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo State Police Commands. Zone 10 with headquarters at Sokoto and covering Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara State Police Commands is now headed by AIG Sule Mamman, fwc; while Police Academy (POLAC) situated in Wudil – Kano, now has AIG Adisa Baba Bolanta, fwc, as its new Commandant
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has established a new Police Command called the Maritime Police Command. The pioneer head of the new establishment is AIG Mark A. Idakwo, mni. The Maritime Command will be domiciled at Force Headquarters, Abuja, under the operational control of ‘B’ Department. The new Command which enjoys the status of a Zone, is a fusion of the Marine Police Command, the Police Ports Authority Command and the Inland Waterways Formation. The Maritime Police Command is further broken into Western Maritime Command with headquarters in Lagos , the Eastern Maritime Command with headquarters in Port Harcourt , Rivers State and the Marine Command with headquarters also situated in Lagos . Each of these subsidiary Commands under the Maritime Police Command is headed by a Commissioner of Police.
The Maritime Command is charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and providing adequate security in our ports and harbours. The new Command is also saddled with the task of tackling contemporary security challenges such as armed robbery, piracy, kidnapping, gun running and other related crimes in our creeks, harbours and territorial waterways.
The posting of the AIGs which is in line with on-going reformation and restructuring of the Force for better performance and greater efficiency, takes immediate effect. The affected AIGs are expected to assume duty in their respective new offices on or before 18th March, 2013.
The IGP, while congratulating the officers for their new posting, advised them to be worthy ambassadors of the Force, emphasizing that their new assignment is a call to service that should be discharged with utmost sense of responsibility. They are to ensure effective administrative and operational supervision of all Commands and Formations within their Zones, in line with international best practices in law enforcement.
