In the last forty two months of Uzodimma’s controversial and legitimacy sapped administration, Imo has become a reference point in the most brutal and egregious form of police brutality and recklessness. Different Commissioners of Police have made themselves appear to be bodyguards to Hope Uzodimma rather than protectors of Imo civilians and the Nigerian police uniform has become synonymous with criminal intimidation, extrajudicial killings, repression of civil dissent, political thuggery and repressive tendencies.
With the enormous resources ploughed into Imo by the federal government to contain insecurity and rid the State of the so-called unknown gunmen, Imo State has remained the epicentre of terrorist activities in the entire Southeast. Kidnapping, killings, arson, and all manner of terrorist activities have become so prevalent in Imo State that journalists have lost appetite to report these killings. It is believed that more than 50% of killings and other forms of terrorist activities in Imo are unreported.
Uzodimma, instead of deploying conventional security operatives and supporting them to rid imo State of these hooligans had allegedly recruited more hooligans to join them through the alleged recruitment of the “Asari boys” who pass off as Ebubeagu Security outfit. This gang of terrorists, mostly imported from Rivers State and other Niger-Delta areas have been accused of some of the most horrendous criminalities, human rights violations and terrorist activities, including setting markets and entire communities ablaze.
Curiously, these hooligans parading as Ebubeagu militia are allegedly given cover by hooded policemen and allowed to perpetrate all manner of extrajudicial killings and destruction in Imo State. It is confusing that the Nigerian Police Force, a big institution that should be highly respected allows itself to be treated with such disrespect, but not a few Imolites believe that Uzodimma is being allowed to do whatever he wants with the police because he doles out a lot of money to the top hierarchy of the Police Force, hence, making them to look the other way while he batters the image of the Force.
During the 2023 general elections, pictures and videos were published across social media showing officers of the Nigerian Police providing cover for political thugs who carted away ballot materials, harassed voters and there are even allegations that policemen were used to rewrite election results in some places. A video emerged within the same period of the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, allegedly threatening the Imo REC to announce a particular result of a disputed election, else, he wouldn’t guarantee her security. The same Mohammed Barde was nearly lynched in Adamawa State when he tried to replay the same script in the Adamawa governorship election. While he was promptly sacked from continuing to supervise the election in Adamawa and has allegedly been issued a query over his involvement in the aborted electoral criminality perpetrated in that State, he was redeployed to Imo State to continue his “dirty jobs” for the APC and the governor, even with numerous petitions and complaints from across groups, individuals and stakeholders against him.
The removal of the IGP Baba would have afforded Nigerians some hope that some semblance of sanity would return to the Nigerian Police Force and real actions would be taken to restore the credibility and professionalism of the police force in Imo State, but Uzodimma is not letting up on his determination to continue to rubbish the image of the force. His uninvited parade around the corridors of the Force headquarters and gatecrash into every event relating to the newly appointed police leadership is a deliberate attempt to further intimidate Imolites and his political opponents into believing that he has the police on his palms and will do with them whatever he wishes.
The Nigerian Police Force under IGP Kayode Egbetokun must make efforts to extricate itself from Uzodimma’s corrupt grip and rid the police of unprofessional conduct. Egbetokun must redeem the image of the Force and restore the confidence of Imolites in the police, not by stripping Uzodimma of his rights as Chief security officer of the State, but by ensuring that the Force is neutral in political affairs and impartial in dealing with issues of security threats in the State.
The idea of throwing around pictures of Uzodimma abandoning his duties in the State to decorate the IGP and the DIG sends the wrong signals about the neutrality of the police in the upcoming governorship election in the State. While these pictures serve the political and psychological interests of the APC, the sanctity of the police institution must not be sacrificed for the despotic ambitions of one unpopular and rejected politician.
