Police Dismisses 31 Officers Over Killing Army Officer, Robbery, Extortion, Others

The Nigeria Police Force has in an attempt to get rid of bad eggs in its system, sacked no fewer than thirty-one personnel in the last 18 months, Naija News reports.

Reports had it that the dismissed personnel, most of whom are junior officers, were found guilty of extra-judicial killing, extortion, robbery, assault on citizens and other acts that violate the regulations of the force.

Based on findings by The PUNCH, the dismissed officers committed the crimes between April 2021 and October 2022.

It could be recalled that the Police Service Commission (PSC) on October 4, 2022, announced the dismissal of seven policemen over alleged gross misconduct.

A week after, October 13 precisely, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the dismissal of one Curtis Jack, who was accused of robbing a man and his brother of $5,000 and N1.3m in Lagos.

Meanwhile, in July, the force had confirmed the dismissal of one Inspector Richard Gele who was caught in a viral video boasting about extorting members of the public.

Naija News understands that the officer who trended on social media was invited to the Force Headquarters in Abuja where he was de-kited on July 29.

Again on August 8, a police constable, Liyomo Okoi, who was captured in a viral video on July 31, 2022, where he was flogging a man with a machete, was also invited to the Force Headquarters where he was also de-kited.

Similarly, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba on April 26, 2022, approved the dismissal of nine policemen over their alleged roles in the botched strike by the rank and file of the institution. Those affected were two inspectors, five sergeants and two constables.

Earlier in March 2022, the force announced the dismissal of two Inspectors, Tahir Ali and Saidu Nadabo, both attached to the 53 Force Mobile Unit, Borno.

Ali was accused of killing an Army Warrant Officer, Donatus Vokong, attached to ‘Operation Hadin Kai, while Nadabo was dismissed for trafficking 4.5kg of Cannabis Sativa.

In Lagos State, one Inspector Jonathan Kampani was also dismissed in the middle of March 2022 for allegedly killing one Jelili Bakare at Quinox Lounge, Sangotedo area. On April 25, 2021, another policeman, Sgt Eze Aiwansoba, was dismissed for attempting to kill his friend, Joy Ndubueze, on April 12, 2021.

A policeman with the Osun Command, Adamu Garba, who shot and killed one Saheed Olabomi in Osogbo, was also dismissed on August 13, 2021.

Also in Delta State, two officers identified as Felix Ebikabowei and Ndubuisi Abazie were on September 18, 2021, dismissed from the force for assaulting a tricycle rider, Brodrick Omesan.

The Enugu State Command of the force had in November 2021 in the order of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 13, Muri Musa, confirmed the dismissal of one Inspector Edem Ebong over the alleged killing of five persons and injuring infliction on four others.

The Ogun State Police Command on April 28, 2021, dismissed three officers for allegedly extorting the sum of N153,000 from a student of the Lagos State University, Sheriff Adedigba. The dismissed officers were Inspector Sunday John, Sergeant Jimoh Asimiya, and Sergeant Solomon Adedapo.

The acts of the dismissed officers were seen as disturbing and embarrassing to a retired Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, who described the dismissal of erring personnel as a necessity to sanitise the system.

According to him, every organisation including the police force has its rules guiding the punishment of erring personnel.

Ojukwu said: “The police cannot send anybody to prison except when the person is charged to court but if you commit an offence, the police must act accordingly because they are responsible and must ensure officers work according to the rules.

“Otherwise, one black sheep would spoil the entire system. A law enforcement officer is not expected to break the law and when found culpable, it should be dealt with by the law.”