EXCLUSIVE: IGP’s Transfer Order Trapped in Limbo: Six Police Officers Stranded as Commands Ignore Abuja Directive

Secrets Reporters

In what appears to be another episode of bureaucratic gridlock within Nigeria’s policing system, an internal memo exclusively obtained by SecretsReporters has uncovered that six police personnel approved for inter-state transfer by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) have yet to be released to their new duty posts — weeks after the directive was issued.

The confidential document, dated June 16, 2025, emanated from the Department of Finance and Administration (Welfare) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, and bore the unmistakable stamp of authority — “Approved by the Inspector-General of Police.” Yet, like many directives that die in the corridors of power, this one seems to have gathered dust rather than momentum.

According to the memo, six officers — comprising three Inspectors, one Sergeant, one Corporal, and one Constable — were officially approved for transfer across various commands and formations. The order was clear: the officers were to be “warned and released to proceed accordingly.”

According to the transfer signal, the affected officers include Inspector Arinju Paul (AP/F/NO. 352856), who was redeployed from the Lagos State Command to Zone 17 Headquarters, Akure; W/Inspector Ngozi Uhala (AP/F/NO. 296606), moved from the Ogun State Command to Lagos State Command; and Inspector Clement Patrick (AP/F/NO. 261695), transferred from the Akwa Ibom State Command to the Adamawa State Command.

Others are Sergeant Otuniya Chijioke (AP/F/NO. 504863), posted from Edo State Command to Delta State Command; W/Corporal Justina Odjemudia (AP/F/NO. 072201), redeployed from Rivers State Command to Delta State Command; and W/Constable Oyelami Janet (AP/F/NO. 075003), transferred from Oyo State Command to Osun State Command.

The correspondence, signed by Commissioner of Police Rose Chollom Dung on behalf of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DFA), was directed to multiple senior formations, including the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 17 Headquarters, Akure, and the Commissioners of Police in Abeokuta, Asaba, Benin City, Ibadan, Ikeja, Osogbo, Port Harcourt, Uyo, and Yola.

However, SecretsReporters’ investigation reveals that none of the affected officers have been released to their new postings nearly four months after the IGP’s approval — a situation insiders describe as “business as usual” in the force.

A senior police source familiar with internal postings, who spoke under strict anonymity, hinted that “such delays are not uncommon — sometimes transfers get stuck between commands, and until there’s pressure from above, nothing moves.”

But for the six stranded officers, the delay is more than an administrative hiccup; it has left them suspended between commands — neither here nor there — uncertain of their professional and personal footing.

When contacted for comments on the development, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Chief Superintendent of Police Benjamin Hundeyin, neither picked his calls nor responded to messages sent to him.

Similarly, efforts to get clarification from state police spokespersons hit a brick wall. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Rivers State, Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe-Koko, said she had no knowledge of the matter involving Corporal Justina Odjemudia.

In the same vein, the PPRO of Ogun State, Superintendent of Police Omolola Odutola, stated that she did not know Inspector Ngozi Uhala and was unaware of any such transfer.

Repeated attempts to reach the PPROs of Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Edo, and Oyo States for comments proved abortive, as messages sent to them were not acknowledged as of press time.

While the paper trail suggests that the IGP had given the green light, the field reality tells a different story — one where directives are lost in transit, officers are left in limbo, and the chain of command appears tangled in red tape.