Kidnappings: IGP dispatches senior officers on intelligence gathering nationwide

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday morning ordered no fewer than 54 Assistant Commissioners of Police to take over and re-invigorate intelligence departments of 36 States and 18 zonal commands.

Daily Trust reports that the deployment is coming on the heels of an explosion that rocked Ibadan, Oyo State capital last week and raging kidnapping across the country.

Some analysts have attributed the development to failure in intelligence gathering.

Speaking through the force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP explained that he made the decision to address current growing criminalities across the country, adding that the deployment takes immediate effect.

Adejobi, also an Assistant Commissioner of Police, quoted Egbetokun to have charged the newly deployed officers to be professional and apply their wealth of experience in the course of discharging their duties.

He said, “The posting is premised on the zeal of the IGP to improve and enhance the effectiveness of the Intelligence Department at every level of the Force as a panacea to addressing the crime rate in the country, in line with his vision statement.

“It will be recalled that the IGP on assumption of duty reactivated the Presidential approval to upgrade the Force Intelligence Bureau to the status of a Department with the appointment of DIG Habu Sanni, as the DIG in charge of the new Department of Force Intelligence.

“The IGP has, however, tasked the newly appointed Senior Officers to deploy all intelligence-based assets in combating crimes and criminality in their respective areas of responsibility.

“He has further charged them to entrench professionalism and apply their wealth of experience in the course of discharging their duties towards strengthening the already existing intelligence architecture of the Force. The posting is with immediate effect.”