By Emma Nnadozie , Crime Editor and Victor Ahiuma-Young
Tension has gripped officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force following last Wednesday sack of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, and his unexpected replacement with an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Afiz Ringim.

The tension arose from fears over the fate of both the serving Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIG’s), and Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIG’s) who are professionally seniors to the new Police boss, Afiz Ringim.

Police sources said, contrary to projections that all the senior officers to the new IGP which included both the DIG’s and AIG’s that are senior to him, must go, indications emerged weekend, that the reverse may be the case.

This followed revelations that most of the serving DIG’s and senior AIG’s have secretly expressed their willingness to continue in office if given the green light regardless of seniority in the force. Saturday Vanguard learnt reliably that, intense lobbying had already commenced amongst the hierarchy of the police force over their continuity in office.

The lobbying, according to sources, is more pronounced amongst Assistant Inspectors-General of Police who were said not to be easily discouraged by the elevation of one of them as the new police helmsman. In fact, one of the AIG’s intimated Saturday Vanguard that he was ready to serve in any capacity provided he was allowed to complete his tenure in the force. “I have more than five years to stay in the force.

How do you expect me to just throw away my experience and all that I labored in life to achieve the best professionally, on the alter of dirty politics? If there is no official directive from the Presidency in that regard, I will not go anywhere. Where ever they send me, I will serve in whatever capacity. I am first and foremost, a professional police officer”, he stated.

Another highly placed officer in the force who sought for strict anonymity also regretted that the country will pay dearly for politicizing the police force by such ‘indiscriminate appointment of IGP’s’. “Did the presidency spare a thought for the calibre of DIG’s they will eventually throw out of the force through the back door, before appointing an AIG as the new Police boss?.