Anambra State has gotten a new Commissioner of Police, Echeng Eworo Echeng, making him the fourth CP in the state within a period of eight months.
CP Echeng becomes the 32nd police commissioner, taking over from Tony Olofu who has been transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Prior to Olofu’s posting on September 10, Chris Owolabi took charge of the State Police Command from April 30.
However, Monday Bala Kuryas who was deployed on February 19 oversaw the state’s internal security for barely six weeks.
Although it is not clear why the police authorities have constantly changed the police commissioners, the IGP asked residents of the state to support CP Echeng in his task of protecting the lives and property of all.
Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, who announced the deployment of the new police chief in the state said the erstwhile police commissioner has been redeployed to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
He noted that the IGP also ordered the deployment of a detachment of the police “Special Forces to Anambra State to bolster and complement the ongoing peace-building efforts of the Nigeria Police Operation Restore Peace in Anambra State.”
According to the Force spokesman, the IGP is “particularly concerned with the renewed incidents of attacks on innocent individuals and symbol of state authority in the state.”
He said the new Commissioner of Police has been charged to “mobilise both kinetic and non-kinetic law enforcement and crime-fighting approaches to reverse the negative trend, reclaim public spaces from hoodlums and restore public peace in the state.”
Until his recent posting, CP Echeng was the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State.
He holds a first degree in History from the University of Maiduguri and has received extensive training on global peace support operations at Mission Training Cell, Kielce, Poland, amongst other tactical and leadership courses.
The new police commissioner has also served as a former Police Component Commander, Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Zonal CID, Zone-13, Ukpo, Anambra State, amongst other key positions.
The development comes barely a month to the state’s governorship election where the people would choose a leader to succeed the outgoing governor, Willie Obiano.
▪︎ Report by Channels Television