A pro-democracy group, Bayelsa Good Governance Watch, has taken a swipe at the police hierarchy over the frequent changing of the Commissioners of Police in Bayelsa State.
The group expressed concern that no fewer than four new CPs have been deployed to the state in less than two weeks.
Convener of the group, Ebitimi Igori, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, said it is worrisome that the police administration was causing confusion in the state by the frequent and irregular deployments.
Igori raised the alarm that the frequent change of guards was part of a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the state to politicise security ahead of the 2019 elections as well as create panic.
“It is becoming clear that the police has become partisan in Bayelsa. From all indications, the police authorities have pandered to the whims and caprices of desperate politicians in the state. Their aim is to foment trouble and destabilise our state ahead of the 2019 elections. These politicians have no future in our state and as far as they are concerned, they must destabilise the state and return it to the old days of the swarming locust when Bayelsa was like a killing field.
“It is equally very embarrassing that in less than two weeks no fewer than four CPs have been posted to the state to replace CP Don Awunah, who has been redeployed to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“First, it was CP Joseph Mukan who took over from Awunah. Within hours, he was replaced by Ahmed Bello before Ahmad Abdurahman was announced as the latter’s replacement. Shortly afterwards, Austin Iwar was named as the new CP. Curiously, at the moment Bayelsa has no CP,” he said.
The group fingered two prominent opposition politicians in the state, one of whom it said is desperate to return to power, of being behind the manipulation of the police authorities. He however expressed optimism that Bayelsans will resist him.
“We are observing the manipulation of the police and the security situation with grave concern. The police should not aid politicians to create confusion and cause mayhem in Bayelsa,” Igori warned.
The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Inspector General of Police to order so as not to ignite another round of crisis in the state.
It said the state government working with the security agencies has succeeded in ensuring peace across the state, which ought to be enhanced and not allowed to be scuttled because of the interest of selfish and violent politicians.
