The Police Service Commission has approved the dismissal of one Assistant Commissioner of Police and nine other senior Police Officers while approving demotion of nine others for professional misconduct.

The Commission also says it approved the punishment of severe reprimand for eight Officers, reprimand for 10, and letter of warning for three other Officers while exonerating three Officers.

The Commission according to a statement signed by the Head Press and Public Relations, IKechukwu Ani took these decisions at its 9th Plenary Meeting which held in Abuja on Monday, 28th, and Tuesday 29th September 2020 and presided over by its Chairman, Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General of Police.

The statement read, “At the meeting, the Commission treated 43 cases of Police misconduct where it dismissed one Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), two Superintendents of Police (SP), three Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) one of which is a retired officer, and four Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP). It further directed the prosecution of six of the Officers to wit, one ACP, one SP, two DSPs, and two ASPs.

“The dismissed ACP, Magaji Ado Doko was found to have engaged in acts unbecoming of a public Officer; disobedience to lawful order; discreditable conduct; unlawful use of authority and scandalous conduct. One of the dismissed SPs, Ogedengbe Abraham was found guilty of negligence/loss of government property; disobedience to lawful order, and act unbecoming of a Public Officer while the other dismissed SP, Mallam Gajere Taluwai was found guilty of discreditable conduct and act unbecoming of a Public Officer.

“The three dismissed DSPs were Okunkonin Daniel, Abisoro Obo Irene, and Theresa Nuhu who is already retired. The ASPs were Sanusi Rasaki, Uwadala Ehis Oba, Ferdinand Idoko, and Igolor Godsent Ogheneruona.

“The Commission also compulsorily retired SP Talba Mohammed for acts unbecoming of a public officer and dishonesty.

“In its further deliberation, the Commission also approved the reduction in rank of Muhammad Sani Muhammad from CSP to SP for unruly behaviour; gross insubordination, gross misconduct, and conduct unbecoming of a senior Police Officer. SP John Oluwarotimi was also reduced to the rank of DSP while DSPs Mustapha Ibrahim Abubakar, Godwin Agbo, and Hassan Hamidu were further reduced to ASP. ASP Edeke Michael, Iyanda Olufemi, Asabe Luka, and Anode Christopher were also reduced to the rank of Inspector.

“The Police Service Commission will continue to ensure that Police Officers are held accountable for their actions and inactions and that disciplinary cases are treated with the required diligence and urgency so that those found culpable are punished accordingly while others who are exonerated are allowed to move on with their career progression.

“The Commission notes that disciplinary cases involving officers from Constable to Sergeants are still one of the delegated responsibilities of the Inspector General of Police. The Commission however will continue to monitor this delegated power and expects regular returns from the IGP”.

For close to two weeks now, Nigerian youths have been on the streets demonstrating against police brutality especially ones perpetuated by the Special Anti Robbery Squad, which goes by the acronym, SARS.

Apart from, SARS, the demonstrators are demanding a comprehensive reform of the Nigeria Police, a review of the condition of service and improved welfare for the police. And does appear the demands are growing as days go by.

The protest which has escalated to all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory has been received by the international community like a raging wildfire.

In his reaction to the general discontent, President Mohammadu Buhari, after a meeting with the police hierarchy directed the IG to disband the notorious SARS. In compliance with the presidential directive, the IG announced that SARS had been proscribed. He added that a new outfit, in the form of SWAT would be created to replace the much-vilified SARS.

The IG’s pronouncement triggered more demonstrations. The protesting youths feel the government was playing on their intelligence by substituting one form of SARS with another under a different name.

But Tosan Eyiwunmi, a security expert and consultant to the Nigeria Police has said that contrary to the widespread belief, the Inspector-General of Police was yet to create any unit to replace SARS.

Speaking for the first time since the crisis started, Eyiwunmi who is the CEO of Crime Fighters told Weekend Vanguard that the IG only said that a new unit, in the form of SWAT would be created to replace SARS, meaning he was only telling the people what the police would do, following the disbandment of SARS. “SWAT which means Special Weapons and Tactics is a generic word in the security corridor across the world.

Read Also: #ENDSWAT: We’ve Met Demands, We Can’t Go Beyond What We’ve Done – Lai Mohammed

SWAT is used in America, it is used in Germany and even in Britain. It is not a word that is coined by the Nigeria Police or by the IG. And As it were, he has not constituted anybody or unit. He was just explaining to members of the public that a unit like SWAT would come in place of the dissolved SARS. As we speak, there is no new unit like that as he wanted to reassure Nigerians that there won’t be any vacuum in the security network of the nation. He was assuring the people that the Nigeria Police Force would live up to its responsibility by constituting another body that would carry out the duties that would be in tandem with the functions of SWAT.”

Explaining further, Eyiwunmi said, “SWAT is usually and generally a body that is expected to respond to violent crimes and they work with intelligence and technology, which is different from SARS. SWAT is not a body that you see every day on the road. But because the public misunderstood him, that is why there has been this negative reaction.”

She insisted the IG has not created another unit. “That is in the pipeline. He was only saying, that is what he intended to do. Before they put it together, those people would have to be specially trained because SWAT is a technical, tactical that would have to be trained by professionals. It is not a place you put in every Dick, Tom and Harry because it requires well-trained personnel.”

She informed that SWAT is not the regular policemen one finds on the road or streets on patrol. “Just like the FBI in America is not the regular policemen one finds everywhere, that is how SWAT operatives would function.

She clarified the misconceptions some analysts have propounded against the formation of SWAT when there was already in place a Mobile Police Unit. “The Mobile Police is created to quell riots but SWAT is meant to work on highly technical matters bothering on intelligence and mostly operate in plain clothes. For instance, in the case of kidnapping, you can’t wear police uniform to go and arrest kidnappers because you would have given yourself out already. Before they go, they would have done their investigation and worked on the intelligence gathered.

Source

Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Saturday said the ongoing #EndSARS protests by youths across the country is unnecessary as the Federal Government has met the demands and has even done more than what was asked.

He also said the Federal government can’t go higher than what it has done in meeting the demands of the protesting youths.

While speaking on the attack on Osun state governor, Gboyega Oyetola by hoodlums, he said latest developments in the country have shown that the ongoing #EndSARS protests have been completely hijacked by ‘dark forces’.

The Minister spoke on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) news programme, Weekend File monitored by Daily Independent.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari will not abdicate his responsibilities, number one of which is the protection of lives and property.

Read Also: #EndSWAT: Nigeria Now Divided – Governor Bala Mohammed

He said “If the purpose of this protest is to meet your demands and that demands have been met and made public, and the government has been giving marching orders, for crying out loud, if you are sincere from the word go, why don’t you give the government a chance?  We can’t go higher than what we have done”. 

“The meeting of NEC comprise all governors of the country, presided over by the Vice-President. A communiqué was read out and we have started the implementation.  We’ve asked all state governors to set up Victims Support Fund; all state governors, not only are you going to have a judicial panel of enquiry, but the composition must comprise of youths, students and CSOs”.  

“We went further to say that they should set up a  Special Security and Human Rights committee In each state with students, youths and CSOs as members. And we are saying that the new Police Special Tactical unit will be overseen by this panel which comprises of CSOs and youths. I don’t think we can bend beyond that”.

Source

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has said the country is divided as a result of the various #EndSARS protests across the country.

Mohammed, who spoke to journalists in an interview at his residence in the Yelwan Duguri, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi, shortly after casting his vote in the local government elections on Saturday, appealed against “sensational reports” that would heat up the polity.

The governor urged the media to use its reportage to unite Nigerians in the face of the demonstrations against police brutality in the nation, adding that although the police had their limitations, the country still needed the police to maintain peace.

He said, “Nigeria is so divided now in the face of the ongoing protests against the SARS of the police. You, as journalists, should not aggravate the situation, but should unite Nigerians by disseminating the right information such that would not heat up the polity.”

Source

https://abntv.com.ng/2020/10/endswat-protesters-hold-sunday-service-outside-lagos-state-govt-house-photos/