Imohimi Edgal: Confusion over Lagos police commissioner redeployment, explained

On Sunday, January 13, 2019, Lagos Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, was packing his wares out of his office because he had just received news of his redeployment to Abuja.

On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, Lagos Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, told the world that he was going nowhere and that the man who had been drafted to his office to replace him, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, would have to perish the thought, at least for the moment.

“There will be no change of guard for now”, Edgal announced to the media, a wide grin decorating his chubby face. “I am still in charge, no change of guard,” he asserted.

Mohammad Adamu (middle) decorated by Idris Ibrahim (left) and President Muhammadu Buhari (right) as the new Inspector-General of Police [Twitter/@NGRPresident] Pulse Nigeria

What exactly is going on at the Lagos police command? And why was a redeployment order reversed as soon as it was made?

Let’s explain what exactly is going on at the Lagos police command

Recall that the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, took over from Ibrahim Idris on the same day Edgal was going to hand over to Egbetokun in Lagos.

Pulse understands that the new head of the police in Abuja, Adamu, reversed all the last minute postings of Idris and ordered all formations nationwide to maintain status quo.

Edgal received orders from Adamu not to leave Lagos for Abuja, as Egbetokun and his team walked in to receive handover notes and memorabilia.

But there’s also a political angle to this unfolding drama

A source who spoke to Pulse on condition of anonymity says Edgal was going to be redeployed to the Explosive Ordinance Unit at force headquarters, Abuja, because he had fallen out of favour with the APC godfathers of Lagos after “poor handling” of the APC campaign flag-off rally of January 8.

Recall that thugs from the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) went for each other’s throats at the rally and a couple of persons were stabbed.

One of the stabbed was infamous motor park leader, MC Oluomo.

Edgal who is close friends with Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was accused of not doing enough to prevent the violence, just to spite APC governorship flagbearer in Lagos, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who benefited from Ambode’s inability to get a second term ticket.

Ambode campaigns alongside Sanwo-Olu in Lagos on the day MC Oluomo was stabbed (Sanwo-Olu media) Pulse Nigeria

APC sources who spoke to Pulse on conditions of anonymity say the Tinubu camp was no longer comfortable with Edgal calling the shots at the Lagos police command after the MC Oluomo stabbing. They just could no longer trust him, hence the commencement of moves for his redeployment ahead of the elections.

It was also learnt that the reversal of Edgal’s redeployment may also not be unconnected to Ambode’s interference at police headquarters, Abuja.

Pulse has been unable to verify the bits of information from our sources and Governor Ambode’s media aides weren’t immediately available for comments for this story.