The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Samuel Etaifo, has disclosed plans to conduct another round of interstate transfers of police officers in the state, after the 2027 general elections, declaring that officers who have spent more than five years at a particular station would be redeployed.
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Key Highlights
- Delta CP Samuel Etaifo plans fresh interstate transfers after the 2027 elections for officers who have spent over five years in one station.
- He defended the recent transfer of over 5,000 officers out of the Delta Command, saying there is no going back on the IGP’s directive.
- Affected personnel are being released in batches to avoid a sudden manpower shortage.
- Ughelli Area Commander ACP Olasunkanmi Musiliu said replacements have not matched the number of officers transferred out.
- Musiliu also cited a shortage of functional patrol vehicles across the command’s six divisions.
Etaifo said the planned exercise would be part of efforts to strengthen discipline, professionalism and accountability in the police, particularly among officers in the rank and file, whom he said should not remain at one duty post for an extended period.
The commissioner, who maintained that prolonged deployment to one station could compromise effective policing, also defended the recent mass transfer of over 5,000 police officers, insisting that there is no going back on the directive issued by the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
He spoke on Friday, November 6, 2026, during an inspection visit to the Ughelli Area Command, where community leaders and other stakeholders appealed to him to reconsider the mass transfers, citing their impact on manpower and security operations.
Responding to the appeals, Etaifo dismissed arguments that officers familiar with the terrain should be allowed to remain in their previous stations, insisting that prolonged stay could create room for unprofessional conduct.
“The issue of allowing some of those that have been around to still remain because they are familiar with the terrain is not a good argument.
“As a matter of fact, when a police officer remains in a particular station for more than five years, it becomes something else, especially the rank and file. These are the ones that adjudicate cases in their houses,” he said.
CP Plans Own Interstate Transfer After 2027 Polls
Explaining the circumstances surrounding the mass transfer, the commissioner of police said the decision follows developments within the command which, in his view, required a decisive response from the police leadership.
He, however, acknowledged the operational implications of the exercise, explaining that the command was releasing affected personnel in batches to avoid a sudden depletion of manpower.
Etaifo further disclosed that after the 2027 elections, he would undertake his own interstate transfer exercise, stressing that officers who had spent more than five years at their respective stations would be affected.
“That one is from IGP. Me, I’m just waiting for after the election. I will do my own interstate transfer. Anyone that has spent more than five years in a station will be removed,” he added.
Ughelli Area Command Laments Manpower, Vehicle Shortage
The commissioner’s position is coming against the backdrop of concerns raised by the Ughelli Area Commander, ACP Olasunkanmi Musiliu, who identified the mass transfer as a major operational constraint confronting the command.
In his welcome address, Musiliu lamented that the number of police officers transferred out of the state was not commensurate with the number of officers posted to replace them, resulting in an acute shortage of manpower.
He appealed to the commissioner to use his office to give the Ughelli Area Command priority in subsequent personnel postings, particularly because of the volatile security environment and the extensive geographical area under its jurisdiction.
The area commander said the manpower gap is affecting the command’s operational capacity, especially its ability to maintain effective patrols and respond promptly to security challenges.
He also identified inadequate patrol vehicles as another major challenge, explaining that most divisions under the command lacked functional operational vehicles, while the few available were in poor condition.
Musiliu said the situation has made patrol operations difficult, urging the police commissioner to intervene by providing additional personnel and serviceable patrol vehicles.
The Ughelli Area Command covers Ughelli North and Ughelli South Local Government Areas, as well as part of Ethiope East. Its six divisions are ‘A’ Division Ughelli, ‘B’ Division Agbarha-Otor, Orogun, Ofuoma, Otu-Jeremi and Isiokolo.
Read also:
- Delta State Police: How ₦34bn Plan Could Shape Funding, Recruitment and Oversight
- Court remands dismissed police officers over alleged extrajudicial killing in Delta
- Delta Police Arrest Three Suspects, Recover Six Firearms in Security Raids
Recall that the mass transfer of over 5,000 police officers from the Delta State Command followed the killing of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi, also known as Oghenemine Ogidi, in Effurun, Delta State, on April 26, 2026.
Ogidi was allegedly shot at close range by ASP Nuhu Usman, popularly known as Ogbegbe, after he was restrained following the recovery of a parcel reportedly containing a fabricated Beretta pistol and live ammunition.
A viral video showing the deceased seated on the ground before he was shot sparked widespread public outrage and renewed demands for accountability within the police force.
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