There is confusion in Bayelsa State over deployment of four Commissioners of Police in the state within two weeks by Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris.

It was learnt that police authorities were influenced to redeploy the CPs by some politicians not uncomfortable with officers posted to the state.

Investigations showed that two weeks after police authorities redeployed the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Don Awunah, to Force Headquarters, Abuja, he was replaced with Mr Joseph Mukan.

But barely 48 hours later, Mukan was removed and replaced with Mr Ahmed Bello.

Bello was said to be preparing to take over at the command when a fresh signal was issued by Force Headquarters asking Mr Ahmad Abdulraman to proceed to Bayelsa as Commissioner of Police.

Sources stated that Abdulrahman was on the verge of assuming duty in Yenagoa when another signal from Force Headquarters announced his replacement with Mr Austin Iwar, who is currently Kaduna State CP.

It was learnt that the rapid changes and redeployments took place within two weeks.

“As we speak, Bayelsa State has no substantive Commissioner of Police as Iwar is still holding forte in Kaduna and has yet to assume duty,” a source explained.

The flurry of deployments is generating concerns among Bayelsa State Government officials, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, stakeholders and pro-democracy groups who viewed the police confusion with suspicion.

Meanwhile, IYC and a pro-democracy group, Bayelsa Good Governance Watch, have raised the alarm over the development, alleging that the plot was designed by the police high command to cause insecurity and destabilise the state.

Secretary-General of IYC, Mr Alfred Kemepado, said in a statement on Sunday that it was indeed suspicious for the Force Headquarters to post four commissioners of police to one state, within such a short period of time.

Kemapado said the action of the IG smacked of a surreptitious plot by All Progressives Congress-led government at the centre to use the police to politicise the security architecture of the state.

He called on the police authorities not to allow themselves to be used by politicians.

He pointed out that the removal of Awunah after working so hard in collaboration with sister security agencies to safeguard the state within a short period of his deployment to the state and the frequent change of guards in the leadership of Bayelsa State Police Command within two weeks, pointed in the direction of politicisation of the state’s security.

On its part, BGGW also took a swipe at the police hierarchy over the frequent changes of commissioners of police in the state.

Punch