CP Eboka Friday

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Mr Eboka Friday assumed duty on Friday as Rivers Commissioner of Police amidst complaints by Governor Nyesom Wike that his deployment to the state may have been politically influenced.

Friday who was the immediate past Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, took over at the Rivers police headquarters and immediately held a closed door meeting with his top  officers.

In a press statement, Rivers Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Nnamdi Omoni, said the new police commissioner was at the Railway Command “where he was found professionally competent and redeployed to the State as the 42nd Commissioner of Police.”

Omoni also disagreed with Governor Nyesom Wike’s assertions yesterday that the Commissioners of Police may be not competent.

“CP Eboka is a Police Officer with impeccable track records in crime fighting. He promises to bring his wealth of experience to bear in Policing Rivers Command and welcomes all people of goodwill to join him in the task ahead.”

“CP Eboka Friday  took over the duties and responsibilities of the Rivers State Police Command from AIG Joseph G. Mukan psc (+) who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police and redeployed to Zone 8 Headquarters Lokoja as the Zonal Commander.

“CP Eboka Friday hails from Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree Bsc (Hons) in Political Science from the University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsukka, Enugu State.

He joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1988 and on completion of  his training was posted to Delta State, where he did his one year compulsory attachment and later served in various  Police Departments across the country as follows:-  Divisional Police Officer in about six (6) Divisions in  Lagos State, including Lekki, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Explosive Ordinance Disposal  (EOD) Force Headquarters, Abuja.

He was also an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, Bayelsa State, Area Commander Owo, Ondo State, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Safer Highway, Abuja, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Finance and Administration, DC ‘A’ Kano and  Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Zone 2  Headquarters, Lagos.

Recall that Governor Wike had taken a swipe at Inspector General of Police, accusing him of deploying Commissioners of Police to the State not based on competence in crime fighting but out of compromise.

Wike had alleged that competence and genuine efforts at fighting criminality and insecurity in the country are often undermined by political inference in the posting of Commissioners of Police.

Governor Wike said it is very disappointing that the Inspector General of Police (IG) will compromise competence in posting a Commissioner of Police to Rivers State because a favour- seeking politician had approached him for such patronage.

The governor made the accusation when he led the Chief Whip of the Nigeria Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen and other dignitaries on project inspection tour in Port Harcourt and ObioAkpor Local Government Areas of Rivers State on Thursday.

“There is so much insecurity in Nigeria. There are killings everywhere and they (APC) told Nigerians that they will solve the problem. But the problem is not being solved.

“They appoint Commissioner of Police (CP) based on patronage. A politician from my state will go to see the Inspector General of Police and ask him to give him a CP.

“And the IG will not post CP based on competence to fight crime but based on the fact that the man in the party says he wants so and so person.

“When the person comes, will he fight insecurity?  No. That’s the problem we have in this country today. How can I partner with such a government?  A government that will not do things based on competence.”

Observers of Rivers Politics  however noted that Wike’s fears may not be unconnected to the fact Friday’s last posting as the Commissioner of Police, Railway Command may have made him to be very close Rotimi Amaechi, the Transportation Minister whose Ministry is in charge of Railway, his political arch enemy.