The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has issued an urgent directive to all occupants of the Ijeh Police Barracks in Lagos State to vacate the premises within four weeks, commencing from Monday, October 7, 2024, to Sunday, November 10, 2024. The directive follows the conclusion of compensation and dues payments to the residents as part of an ongoing building program in Lagos State.
This evacuation order was communicated via a police wireless message from the Works Department of the Force Headquarters (FHQ) in Abuja to relevant police authorities, including the Works Section Abuja, all residents of the Ijeh Police Barracks, and other key police departments across the country.
The message reads:
“CW:0108/DLS/W/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.4/77X BUILDING PROGRAMME LAGOS STATE X REF. INGENPOL DIRECTIVES VIDE SIGNALS X NO. CW:0108/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.11/73 X DTO:041515/06/2024 X AND CW:0108/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.11/70 X DTO:150816/05/2024 X WITH CONCLUSION OF COMPENSATION/DUES PAYMENT X TO ALL OCCUPANTS RESIDENT IN IJEH POLICE BARRACKS X YOU ARE WARNED TO VACATE PREMISES X WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR (4) WEEKS X COMMENCING FROM MONDAY 7TH OCTOBER TO SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2024 X PROVOST FHQ ANNEX LAGOS ONLY X ENSURE ENFORCEMENT OF INGENPOL DIRECTIVES X ON VACATION NOTICE X BY RETURN SIGNAL X TREAT AS VERY URGENT AND IMPORTANT PLEASE.”
This directive stems from a long-standing effort by the Nigeria Police Force to embark on a redevelopment project involving police barracks nationwide. The Ijeh Police Barracks, located in the Ikoyi area of Lagos, has been marked for significant reconstruction as part of the larger restructuring of police housing infrastructure.
The compensation plan, which included financial settlements for all residents, has been completed, paving the way for the clearance of the barracks to allow for the redevelopment work to begin. The enforcement of the evacuation will be supervised by the Provost of the Force Headquarters Annex in Lagos, who has been tasked with ensuring compliance and reporting back to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the progress.
Occupants have been warned to adhere strictly to the evacuation order to avoid forcible eviction by the authorities. The directive is classified as “very urgent and important,” indicating the seriousness of the redevelopment initiative. It remains to be seen how this evacuation will impact the affected officers and their families, many of whom have called Ijeh Barracks home for years.
