WorldStage— Police officers assigned to special security operations against armed groups and Lakurawa terrorists in Zamfara and Kebbi states, Nigeria, have raised the alarm over an extended deployment without rotation.
They lamented that they have been separated from their families for months despite repeated promises of relief.
An affected officer who craved anonymity appealed directly to the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to intervene and facilitate their immediate replacement.
The personnel were initially deployed to Zamfara State on January 28 with assurances that they would be rotated after two to three months. Instead, they remained in the state for roughly nine months before being redeployed to Kebbi State on February 20 for another special assignment.
Upon arriving in Kebbi, the team submitted their deployment documents to the state police command.
However, the officer alleged that while personnel from other operational squadrons were routinely swapped out, his unit was consistently overlooked.
Even officers who arrived in Kebbi after their deployment were eventually rotated, leaving the original team stranded at their operational base.
Hopes for relief rose when authorities announced plans to establish a new squadron to assume their duties.
Of the 10 officers originally transferred from Zamfara to the Kebbi post, one died during an operation, another was evacuated due to severe illness, and a third departed amid the squadron restructuring, leaving just seven personnel on the ground.
Although police authorities reportedly directed each squadron to contribute 15 officers to form the new unit, the officer alleged that their operational base, identified as Base 42, supplied only seven replacements.
Rather than relieving the exhausted team, the seven newcomers were merged with the remaining seven personnel to bring the unit strength to 14.
Expressing deep frustration, the officer stated that the personnel are exhausted and urgently require a change of environment.
He urged police authorities to enforce the full 15-man deployment directive so the original team can finally return home to their families, highlighting growing concerns over personnel welfare on Nigeria’s volatile security frontlines.
