The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has directed Kayode Egbetokun to take over from erstwhile Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, as the Acting Police Commissioner in the state.
Edgal, according to sources, has been directed to take charge of the Explosives and Ordinance Disposal Unit at the Force headquarters, Abuja. The new acting Lagos Police boss was the CP in charge of Explosives and Ordinance unit.
It could not be immediately ascertained if Egbetokun, who was former Chief Security Officer to former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, would be made the substantive CP.
He also supervised the Osun governorship election in Ikire town, where a number of buses and motorcycles were seized for violating the restriction of movement during the poll.
A source said, “The redeployment of Egbetokun to Lagos was part of the Police operational strategies ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“You will recall that a number of senior Police officers, including Command Commissioners of Police, were redeployed in the past few weeks, which the Force headquarters has deliberately not made public, contrary to the usual practice.”
Findings indicate that the Police leadership had, in the past weeks, redeployed the CPs in Zamfara, Edo, Ekiti, Imo and Bauchi Commands ahead of the polls holding next month.
This is coming against the backdrop of the expected retirement of the IG, who would clock 60 years on Tuesday.
Egbetokun was a Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1999 when he was appointed the CSO to then Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and in that capacity coordinated the security of the entire state while reporting to the governor.
He served as the Commander, Rapid Response Squad, Lagos, Squadron Commander, Mopol 5, Benin, Benin City, Officer-in-Charge, Anti-Fraud Unit, FCT Command, Abuja; Chief Superintendent of Police, Administration, Lagos State Command Head Quarters, Ikeja; Area Commander, Osogbo, Osun State Command; and Area Commander, Gusau, Zamfara State Command, among others.
Egbetokun graduated from the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, with Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in June 1987; and lectured Mathematics briefly at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, before his enlistment into the Police Force.
His other academic qualifications include MSC Engineering Analysis, also from the University of Lagos, Akoka, 1996; Post-Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics from Delta State University, Abraka, 2000; and an MBA from Lagos State University, Ojo, 2004.