Eight States Get New Police Commissioners

*IG summons officers who ran over handcuffed man in Edo with police car

Bennett Oghifo in Lagos and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday approved the appointment and deployment of eight Commissioners of Police to state police commands in the country.

On the same day, the acting Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbedokun, summoned to Abuja the policemen involved in the trending video in which a handcuffed middle-aged man in Ekpoma, Edo State, was run over with a police vehicle.

The newly appointed State Commissioners of Police are Godwin Aghaulor, CP Borno State Command; Adelesi Oluwarotimi, CP Kwara State Command; Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, CP Oyo State Command; Augustina Ogbodo, CP Ebonyi State Command and Samuel Titus Musa, CP Kebbi State Command.
Others are Aderemi Adeoye, CP Anambra State Command, Stephen Olarewaju, CP Imo State Command and Alamutu Abiodun Mustapha, CP Ogun State Command.

A statement by the Commission said the Chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase, a retired Inspector-General of Police, said the postings as recommended by the acting Inspector General of Police was on the average, fair and commended the IGP for the inclusion of women.

Arase advised that the acting IGP should consider the disadvantaged geo-political zones while forwarding subsequent proposals for commission’s ratification.

The Commission also commended the acting Inspector General of Police for adhering to its latest policy on gender sensitivity in his recommendation.

The Commission, however, advised that the Inspector-General, in his subsequent proposals, should include more officers of North-east and South-east geo-political zones that are yet to record the benchmark of 15 per cent as decided at its last plenary meeting.

IG Summons Officers over infraction

The acting Inspector General of Police has summoned the policemen detained by the Edo State Police Command for running over a man in handcuffs to the Force Headquarters in Abuja

The team of policemen, with their official vehicle, ran over a handcuffed middle-aged man, dragging him through the road in Ekpoma, Edo State.
The incident caused apprehension in the area.

A statement yesterday by Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, said the erring officers are expected to report to the Force Headquarters on Monday.
The statement read, “The acting IGP has condemned the disturbing incident where a police team ran a vehicle over a citizen on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at Ekpoma, Edo State.

“The IGP has, therefore, directed the erring policemen, who have been in detention in Edo State, to report to the Force Headquarters Abuja on Monday for further action.”

He urged residents to be calm, assuring them that the Force would not olerate unprofessional conduct from its men.

The university town of Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State was on Thursday evening, thrown into confusion as a team of policemen with their official vehicle (a black sienna space wagon car), ordered a middle-aged man in handcuff to lie on the road and subsequently ran over him with their vehicle.

A trending video of the incident which surfaced yesterday showed where a crowd gathered watching the handcuffed man on the road in front of the police vehicle, before the driver moved, crushing and dragging him for more than 100 meters, while ignoring cries from the crowd for them to stop.
The incident generated uproar from the crowd that quickly dispersed after gunshots from the policemen.

Responding, the Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Mr. Chidi Nwabuzor, in a press statement, said the policemen have been arrested and that Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara has called for calm.

The statement reads in part: “Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it’s aware of the trending video in the social media that shows some Police officers with a Sienna Vehicle used for patrol that ran over a young man who was handcuffed.

“In light of the above, CP Mohammed Adamu Dankwara has condemned the action of the policeman that he saw in the trending video, and he described it as barbaric, inhumane and unprofessional. He therefore gave a marching order to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ekpoma to identify, arrest, and bring them to the State Police Headquarters Benin for brief and debrief. The officers had been arrested, and they are with the State Criminal Investigation Department.”