The Kwara State Police Command has announced the dismissal of six officers for misconduct in the last four months.
The State Police Commissioner, Kayode Egbetokun, disclosed this in Ilorin during a stakeholders’ meeting with leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), hotel owners association, Okada riders association, students’ union leaders, and human rights activists in the state.
Egbetokun added that he approved the dismissal of another police officer on Wednesday this week, also for professional misconduct.
The police boss, who said that his command does not condone indiscipline among its officers, added that many officers have been served various forms of punishment.
The commissioner said that, though, the SARS had been disbanded, added that the command recorded 15 armed robbery cases between May and October with arrest of 27 suspects and recovery of 15 AK-47 rifles.
He said the State has not witnessed cases of police extra-judicial killing, brutality and harassment, adding that cases of police extortion have reduced drastically.
Egbetokun, who appealed to the stakeholders to talk with their members on the need to maintain existing peace and harmony in the state, said he was proud of peaceful conduct exhibited so far by the youth in the state during #EndSARS protest.
“Please, talk with your men not to copy what’s happening elsewhere in the country, particularly, as it concerned current spate of insecurity in many parts of the country. You can see that it is no longer#Endsars protest again with the level of destruction and looting going on in some places in the country. It looks like a new agenda by the criminal elements. They loot armoury to get gun in order to commit atrocities after this time. We should discourage that and be careful with kind of information we access on social media. Fake reports that can cause disunity and chaos are being circulated. We have to be careful,” he said.
Other speakers at the meeting called for open prosecution of erring officers and public announcement on dismissed ones.
Others also advised that desk officer for youth and students should be established in the police command for cordial relationship, as well as youth/police relations committee and regular stakeholders meeting.
In a related development, the Lagos State government has identified 21 police officers undergoing criminal trials for trampling on the fundamental human rights of residents.
The policemen are facing prosecution in different courts for charges ranging from murder to other minor offences.
The list shows that 10 policemen are facing murder and attempted murder in various courts, seven are facing charges of various degrees of manslaughter, three cases of armed robbery and conspiracy, one grievous bodily harm.
The policemen facing charges include: Inspector Surulere Irede, Sgt Sunday Ogunyemi; Cpl Ezekiel Babatunde; Ogunyemi Olalekan; Sgt Gbanwuan Isaac; Aminu Joseph; Sgt Alechenu Benedict; Sgt Adebayo Abdullahi; Inspector A. Mohammed, and Mathew Ohansi.
Others include Sgt Segun Okun; Adekunle Oluwarotimi; Adamu Dare, Sgt Mark Argo, Cpl Pepple Boma, Inspector Emmanuel Akpobana, Emmanuel Uyankweke, Akanbi Lookman, Edokhe Omokhue, Afolabi Saka, Monday Gabriel, Yahya Adesina, and Aremu Museliu.
According to Lagos State Attorney General, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), the State has always been committed to the prosecution of erring security officers.
Onigbanjo enjoined the public to keep track of the cases as state lawyers diligently prosecute them in the interest of the public.