Any policeman found guilty of abuse of power to be dismissed, prosecuted – IG

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has said that any police officer found liable for misuse of power that resulted into the death, injury or indignity of citizens, would be dismissed from service and charged to court.

Adamu, while delivering his speech during his official visit to Lagos State on Monday, also said the line supervisors of such officer, including the Area Commander, Divisional Police Officer or Sectional Head, would be sanctioned for lacking supervision.

The IG, while expressing his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims of the misuse of firearms in the state, said the recent abuse of power by some police officers in the state was against the statutory provisions of the Nigeria Police Force.

He added that an administrative approach had been put in place to re-orientate personnel to enable them function in line with professional conducts.

Adamu said, “My visit has become expedient in view of the recent trend of unprofessional conducts by some personnel who, in utter disregard of their professional training, international protocols, constitutional dictates, Force policies, and ethical standards, have continued to drag the Force into acts that pitch us against the citizens we were engaged, paid, and statutorily obligated to serve and protect.

“From January to April, 2019, Lagos State has recorded four incidents of misuse of firearms which have resulted in extrajudicial killings of young citizens of this country and injury to others. I must emphasise that enough is enough. The nation and indeed the police under the current leadership can no longer tolerate abuse associated with the police either in Lagos or any other part of the country.

“I have already ordered that a signal be circulated to all police commands and formations, warning of dire consequences against any personnel that, by their incorrigible acts, deviate from accepted police culture and values.

“Our visit is to reinforce the extant Force Accountable Policy which holds any officer professionally and criminally liable for the consequences of their actions, particularly, if such misuse of power resulted into the death, injury or indignity of citizens.

“Towards this end, I am sounding this note of warning loud and clear that any police personnel that insists on being incorrigible by engaging in abuse of his or her powers or misuses his weapons with fatal outcomes and in utter disregard of statutory provisions will be arrested, investigated through our internal disciplinary machinery and if found culpable, shall be dismissed from service. In addition, such personnel will be charged to court for murder or sundry offences depending on his or her level of criminal liability in the instance.

“Furthermore, the line supervisors of such officer, including the Area Commander, Divisional Police Officer or Sectional Head, shall be held vicariously liable for lacking supervision and shall, be similarly sanctioned.”

Meanwhile, the police boss who also visited Governor Akinwunmi Ambode vowed that all the affected officers involved in extra-judicial killings in the state would be charged to court and made to face the full wrath of the law.

Speaking at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, Adamu said the affected officers had already been arrested and tried internally, but that they would also face criminal prosecution for such act, which according to him, was against ethics of the Force.

He said it was on record that police officers in the state had been performing creditably well, but that the activities of few unscrupulous ones were denting the good work of others.

He also commended Governor Ambode for the massive support to police and other security agencies in the state, saying the successes recorded in keeping the state safe would not have been possible if not for the support of the governor.