NIGERIA POLICE MOBILE FORCE: MOPOL SQUADRON COMMANDERS AS OF APRIL 2011

Men of the MOPOL 10 SQUADRON on the move in a Saxon APC in Bauchi, NE Nigeria

Ahead of the rescheduled 2011 polls, Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim, ordered the redeployment of Commanders of Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) Squadrons across the federation. It is standard practice for Commanders of MOPOL Squadrons to hold the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police.

The anti-riot Police Mobile Force, described as the punching arm of the Police Force, play similar roles to that which gendarmerie units are normally associated with in the countries which Nigeria shares land borders with, all of which are essentially French-speaking (Cameroon being bilingual) and operate French-derived military, police and paramilitary structures.

Inasmuch as the norm nationwide is for each state to play host to a MOPOL squadron, some states play host to as many as two or three MOPOL squadrons, based on a myriad of considerations which appear to be centred around urbanisation, political significance, strategic importance as economic and industrial centres, demography, the peculiarity of security challenges, strategic importance and volatility.

To that extent Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve centre and biggest city hosts three MOPOL squadrons while Kano and Kaduna states each host two MOPOL squadrons. For obvious reasons, the Federal Capital Territory has two squadrons assigned to it while Borno State, Nigeria’s most strategically located state on account of sharing frontiers with the Republics of Chad, Niger and Cameroon, has a total of two MOPOL squadrons assigned to the state.

In the south-east and the Niger Delta, the states of Anambra, Abia are major industrial and commercial centres while Delta state is a major oil-producing hub. Collectively, all three states can be accurately described as being “fast-paced and very volatile.” Not surprisingly, these three states each play host to two MOPOL squadrons.

Loosely compared for the sake of understanding, a MOPOL squadron is the Police Mobile Force’s equivalent of a battalion-sized unit.

Listed for appointment to new commands in the press release which was published in major national newspapers on April 4, 2011 were;

• CSP Jibrin Ibrahim, Commander MOPOL 1 Squadron, Kaduna (Kaduna State)

• CSP Yahaya Ifiani, Commander MOPOL 2 Squadron, Lagos (Lagos State)

• CSP Moses Gana, Commander MOPOL 20 Squadron, Ikeja (Lagos State)

• CSP Sagir Samaila, Commander MOPOL 49 Squadron, Epe (Lagos State)

• CSP Jehptan Suonengimote, Commander MOPOL 50 Squadron, Kubwa (FCT)

• CSP Ofem Arikpo, Commander MOPOL 3 Squadron, Enugu (Enugu State)

• CSP Ibrahim Sa’ad, Commander MOPOL 9 Squadron, Kano (Kano State)

• CSP Abang Benjamin, Commander MOPOL 7 Squadron, Sokoto (Sokoto State)

• CSP Abdullahi Ibrahim, Commander MOPOL 48 Squadron, Ahoada (Rivers State)

• CSP Shuiabu Danagudi, Commander MOPOL 32 Squadron, Abakaliki (Ebonyi State)

• CSP Abubakar Umar, Commander MOPOL 5 Squadron, Benin (Edo State)

• CSP Ifeanyi Chibuzor, Commander MOPOL 34 Squadron, Gombe (Gombe State)

• CSP Patrick Ejedawe, Commander MOPOL 14 Squadron, Yola (Adamawa State)

• CSP Kelvin Zuokumor, Commander MOPOL 37 Squadron, Lokoja (Kogi State)

• CSP Garba Ahmed, Commander MOPOL 29 Squadron, Awka (Anambra State)

• CSP Abubakar Argungun, Commander MOPOL 6 Squadron, Maiduguri (Borno State)

• CSP Eedema Abibo, Commander MOPOL 8 Squadron, Jos (Plateau State)

• CSP Nasiru Abubakar, Commander MOPOL 12 Squadron, Minna (Niger State)

• CSP Muawiya Halilu, Commander MOPOL 13 Squadron, Makurdi (Benue State)

• CSP Mohammed Dankwara, Commander MOPOL 56 Squadron, Ogoniland (Rivers State)

• CSP Woke Kingsley, Commander MOPOL 27 Squadron, Umuahia (Abia State)

• CSP Ahmed Mohammed, Commander, MOPOL 10 Squadron, Bauchi (Bauchi State)

• CSP Abubakar Kaura, Commander MOPOL 19 Squadron, Port Harcourt (Rivers State)

• CSP Samuel Erale, Commander MOPOL 35 Squadron, Dutse (Jigawa State)

• CSP Abubakar Yakubu, Commander MOPOL 16 Squadron, Abeokuta (Ogun State)

• CSP Mathew Obiuwevbi, Commander MOPOL 38 Squadron, Lafia (Nasarawa State)

• CSP Ndoma Hilary, Commander MOPOL 36 Squadron, Oshogbo (Osun State)

• CSP Kabiru Randawa, Commander MOPOL 55 Squadron, Aba (Abia State)

• CSP Obasi Chukwumeka, Commander MOPOL 40 Squadron, Jalingo (Taraba State)

• CSP Wilson Dankwano, Commander MOPOL 30 Squadron, Yenagoa (Bayelsa State)

• CSP Garba Isah, Commander MOPOL 33 Squadron, Ado Ekiti (Ekiti State)

• CSP Okoro Christian, Commander MOPOL 18 Squadron, Ilorin (Kwara State)

• CSP Sylvester Ozuofena, Commander MOPOL 26 Squadron, Uyo (Akwa Ibom State)

• CSP Osifo Emefile, Commander MOPOL 31 Squadron, Asaba (Delta State)

• CSP Braide Yusuf, Commander MOPOL 35 Squadron, Kebbi (Kebbi State)

• CSP Adejoh Abdul, Commander MOPOL 52 Squadron, Chalawa (Kano State)

• CSP Musa Mohammed, Commander MOPOL 27 Squadron, Katsina (Katsina State)

 
 

*Commanders for the following MOPOL Squadrons were not listed in the press release;

MOPOL 53 Squadron, Bama (Borno State),

MOPOL 51 Squadron, Oghara (Delta State) 

MOPOL 21 Squadron, Abuja (FCT)

MOPOL 42 Squadron, Gusau (Zamfara State)

MOPOL 47 Squadron,
Zaria (Kaduna State)

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