Erring officers put police on spotlight

The lingering issues that border on the professionalism of officers of the Nigeria Police Force have continued to set tongues wagging, particularly with the recent dismissal of three personnel of the force. Stakeholders in the security sector examine other punishments for erring personnel, Daily Trust reports.    There is a growing disquiet within the Nigeria […]

The lingering issues that border on the professionalism of officers of the Nigeria Police Force have continued to set tongues wagging, particularly with the recent dismissal of three personnel of the force. Stakeholders in the security sector examine other punishments for erring personnel, Daily Trust reports.   

There is a growing disquiet within the Nigeria Police Force and outside the establishment over the continued dismissal of officers of the force occasioned by their unprofessional conduct while carrying out their official responsibilities.

Divergent views are being expressed by different stakeholders in the security circle on the types of punishment being meted out on erring police officers according to standard operational procedures spelt out for the lead agency in maintaining internal security.

Just yesterday, one Adejoh Siaka was demoted from an inspector to a sergeant following his acts that border on assault, discreditable conduct and incivility to members of the public at Emouha, Rivers State.

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Siaka was captured in a widely circulated video on social media on Sunday, April 9th, 2023. The reduction of his rank followed an orderly room trial by the provost marshal.

In the same vein, it was gathered that one Sergeant Ndiwa Kpuebari, who was also present at the scene but took no steps to discourage such inappropriate and shameful acts, was severely reprimanded.

During the trial, one Inspector Friday Obaka, who the authority discovered was absent from the scene of the incident, was discharged unconditionally.

Speaking to Daily Trust on the development last night, the spokesman of the force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the trio would be posted out of Rivers State to other commands and formations to continue their police duties.

Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said the IGP warned officers and men of the force to be diligent and uphold the lofty tenets of professional policing in the discharge of their duties with respect for the fundamental rights of all citizens in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

But Inspector Dahiru Shuaibu and his colleagues attached to a popular praise-singer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Dauda Adamu Kahutu Rarara, who were ‘innocently’ involved in “celebratory gunfire” were unlucky to have their rank reduced like their Rivers State counterparts.

Shuaibu, Sgt Abdullahi Badamasi and Sgt Isah Danladi who were captured in a viral video that later caught the attention of the authority of the police force might not have foreseen the consequences of their actions before they were dismissed.

The policemen, drawn from Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 1, Kano, were said to believe that they were doing their ‘lawful’ job after the singer had “rented” police operatives for protection through the latest platform of the NPF called Police Specialised Automated Services Programme (POSSAP).

In the viral video, two of the policemen attached to the musician were seen shooting in the air indiscriminately while the singer was heading towards his parked SUV after distributing Ramadan packages in his Kahutu hometown in Katsina.

The police authority in a swift reaction said the officers’ repeated fired shots from their official firearms into the air was against police policy, and that it is against the standard operating procedure and relevant force orders.

It added that their actions amounted to disregard of the possible risk to the crowd at the location which included children.

But some police officers who spoke to Daily Trust anonymously because of fear of retribution had described the arrest of the trio as “unwarranted”, noting that the famous singer had paid for the police services legally as directed by the authority of the force.

“It is going to be tantamount to injustice if those two officers arrested are punished because they were not acting illegally. The police services had already been paid for,” one of the officers said.

Another officer said, “For now, we have not seen what the police officers did wrongly to have warranted their arrest. I saw the video, and I didn’t see where they acted wrongly. I believe their arrest has a political undertone!

“Ordinarily, why should police officers be attached to private individuals like Rarara? Because he has money? Because he can pay for their services? Did the officers deploy themselves to be guarding him (Rarara)?”, he queried.

Prior to the sack of Kano singer’s escorts, an officer, Richard Gele, who was justifying extortion in a video clip that went viral on social media in June last year was also dismissed.

The dismissed officer was caught in the clip dignifying and justifying the extortion of members of the public and official corruption. His dismissal came amid public outcry, particularly from the youths, against police harassment and extortion.

According to the police, the officer who until his dismissal was an inspector with service number, AP/No. 188547, was attached to Police Mobile Force 77 Squadron, Okene, Kogi State and deployed to the Itobe – Anyigba Road.

The indigene of Benue State, who was enlisted into the police in the year 2000, was subsequently de-kitted after he went through a disciplinary committee within the force.

Similarly, Imo State Command of the Force also dismissed seven officers over alleged extortion in the state. The dismissal of the officers followed a series of complaints to the Commissioner of Police in Imo State against the officers by some residents.

The complainants accused some police officers of brutality, harassment, extortion and illegal checking of their mobile phones – the offences authority said were in “fragrant disobedience” to the directives by the IGP.

The names of the dismissed officers included: Chibuzo Ohakim, Finian Irome, George Osueke, Kelechi Onuegbu, Nwagoro Isdore, Stephen Nwadike and Plastidus Ihemtuge.

The officers were arrested on November 8, 2022 at a bank in Umuahia, Abia State, while they were allegedly working outside their jurisdiction and conspiring to extort an unidentified “innocent” resident.

Stakeholders express divergent views

But a security expert and analyst, Mrs Yemi Akinsuyi, faulted the incessant sack of police officers, whom she said were trained with huge resources of the country.

Akinsuyi also argued that throwing the officers out of the force would contribute to the growing unemployment rate in the country as well as rate of criminality in the country.

“Can’t they just discipline these officers? Throwing people who are trained and adept in handling arms to the unemployment lines can only add to the load of ‘wahala’ already on ground. Who will now be monitoring them?” she queried.

The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, in an interview with Daily Trust, said offences of erring officers should always be weighed before apportioning punishments according to the law.

He also called on stakeholders to come together and embark on a healthy debate on whether the dismissal of officers is the right punishment for erring officers.

The RULAAC boss said, “The era of social media and citizens reporting has opened the space for citizens to witness and report human rights violations that have gone on in the past without notice.

“Even when noticed and reported, law enforcement agencies and other perpetrators have been able to deny that these violations occur. But today the evidence has been palpable and undeniable.

“It has also put authorities under pressure to respond by taking disciplinary actions to satisfy public expectations and demands for action. That’s why we see that every now and then, the IGP and state commissioners of police have ordered investigations into exposed incidents of extortion and molestation of citizens leading to various disciplinary actions including the dismissal of perpetrators.

“Unfortunately, these disciplinary actions have targeted mainly officers involved in minor offences and violations ignoring more serious and egregious violations such as torture, extrajudicial killings and allegations of organ harvesting such as the case of the senior officers in Anambra State Police Command.

“There have been debates about whether dismissal would not expose the society to increased crimes by the dismissed officers who may turn their training and knowledge of arms handling to committing crimes.

“This is a debate that we need to have. But the question is whether dismissal is the prescribed penalty for the offences for which they are dismissed. I think that officers who commit crimes and human rights violations should be investigated and punished according to the law.”

On his part, a Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, said there is a need to consider other punishments spelt out in the law guiding the force.

AIG Inalegwu (rtd) said, “For every breach or category of offence, there are specified punishments. For example, if a police officer is guilty of theft or loss of weapons, it is outright dismissal.

“There are other misconducts which are like flexible conducts like engaging in corruption or other offences unbecoming of a police conduct. But there is a need to apply other punishments like demotion.

“If the person is on the rank of inspector, they can consider a reduction in rank, which is equally a very humiliating experience.”