Police Deploy Four Zonal AIGs as PSC Dismisses 19 Senior Officers, Demote Others

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) yesterday ordered the immediate posting of Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) to three Zonal Commands, and Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.

A statement by Force Spokesperson ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that the zonal commands affected include 1, 4 and 9.

This was as the Police Service Commission (PSC), after rigorous consideration of the pending disciplinary matters before it, approved the dismissal of 19 senior police officers, and demoted 19 others.

Force spokesperson said the order by Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, “covered the deployment of the AIG Suleiman M. Yusuf as AIG Zone 9, Umuahia; AIG Ahmed Ammani as AIG Zone 1, Kano; AIG Zachariah Fera as AIG Zone 4, Makurdi and AIG Augustina N. Ogbodo as AIG FCID Annex, Lagos.”

This posting, he said came after the retirement of some of the AIGs who were previous heads of the Zonal Commands and the recent promotion of the former AIG Zone 1, DIG Ari Muhammed Ali and his appointment as the DIG Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Egbetokun urged the new AIGs to ensure, strict supervision, diligence in the discharge of their lawful duties.

He further encouraged them to key into the police reform plans viz-a-viz projection of policing ethics and professional conducts.

He charged the officers to checkmate all forms of misconduct and ensure officers exhibit professionalism to aid the progress of the Nigeria Police Force and the growth of the country in general.

Also, the Police Service Commission(PSC), rose from its plenary meeting in Abuja, with far reaching decisions on 109 pending disciplinary matters and 23 appeals and petition cases with 13 court judgements seeking for compliance.

 The Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, noted in a statement that the Commission earlier considered and approved recommendations on several promotion matters, which had since been conveyed to the Inspector General of Police for implementation.

Ani said that the Commission, after rigorous consideration of the pending disciplinary matters before it, approved the dismissal of 19 senior police officers, including 10 Assistant Superintendents, six Deputy Superintendents, two Chief Superintendents, and one Superintendent.

He noted that the Commission also approved the reduction in ranks of 19 other senior police officers, one Assistant Commissioner of Police, one Chief Superintendent, two Superintendents, two Deputy Superintendents and thirteen Assistant Superintendents.

“Two Assistant Inspectors General of Police also received some punishments, one, punishment of reprimand for refusal to carry out lawful instructions and the other, letter of warning for negligence.

“Several other officers found culpable received different punishments including,  severe Reprimand, Reprimand and letter of warning.

“Most of the Officers dismissed are also to be prosecuted by the Legal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force. Three pending Disciplinary matters were stepped down with a request for further information from the Inspector General of Police,” he added.