Three policemen attached to the Ijanikin Division of the Nigeria Police Force have been dismissed for extorting the sum of 350,000 CFA from a Nigerian based in Togo.
Lagos Police Command’s spokesman, Chike Oti, disclosed this in a statement made available to Qed.ng on Sunday.
Mr Oti said four policemen attached to the Ijanikin Division were found guilty of “discreditable conduct and corrupt practice” by the Command’s Provost Section and have been recommended for dismissal from service.
Based on the recommendation, Oti said the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, has approved the dismissal of three non-commissioned officers (NCOs) namely Sergeant Gbemunu Afolabi, Sergeant Afolabi Oluwaseun and Corporal Adigun Omotayo.
“Meanwhile, the recommendation for the dismissal of Inspector Amiete has been forwarded to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 for approval,” the statement added.
The Lagos Police Command had on December 26 issued a press statement to the effect that the policemen were being investigated for extorting one Ifunanya Theodore, a Nigerian, residing in Togo, on homebound journey to the country for the Yuletide.
Mr Theodore was arrested by the policemen in the Gbaji area on the Mile 2-Badagry expressway on December 17 on suspicion of armed robbery and in the course of investigation recovered the sum of 350,000 CFA from him.
Theodore was exonerate after investigation but the policemen refused to release his money to him.
“It is the conclusion of the panel set up by the CP to investigate the policemen, that they shoddily handled the allegation against Theodore Ifunanya and had conducted themselves in a manner unbecoming of their status in the Force,” Oti said.
The statement added that Imohimi has redeployed the divisional police officer in charge of Ijanikin Division, CSP Eugene Ubine, for lacking supervision of his men.
“He (Imohimi) therefore warns area commanders, divisional police officers and heads of department to strictly monitor the activities of their men for better service delivery. He added that the punishment meted out to the indisciplined (sic) policemen is intended to serve as a deterrent to others,” the statement concluded.
