The Police Service Commission (PSC) says it has taken disciplinary action against several police officers, dismissing two Assistant Superintendents of Police for gross misconduct, including dishonesty, corruption, sabotage, and unbecoming behaviour.
The PSC’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, revealed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, adding that six additional officers were demoted for related offenses.
According to him, the demotions include: two Superintendents of Police _reduced to Deputy Superintendents, one Deputy Superintendent_ reduced to Assistant Superintendent and three Assistant Superintendents_ demoted to the rank of Inspector.
Ani stated that these decisions were finalized during the commission’s second plenary meeting in Abuja, stating that 10 more senior officers were punished for unauthorized disclosure of official secrets, dishonesty, sabotage, and unprofessional conduct.
Nine officers were reprimanded for various forms of misconduct, and a Deputy Commissioner of Police was cleared of allegations.
The statement partly read: “The Police Service Commission has approved the dismissal and prosecution of two ASPs for misconduct, dishonesty, corruption, sabotage and acts unbecoming of public Officers. The Commission also approved the reduction in ranks of six other Officers on related offences.
“The Officers include two Superintendents of Police reduced to the rank of DSPs, one DSP reduced to the rank of Assistant Superintendent and three Assistant Superintendents now Inspectors.
“The Commission also approved a punishment of severe reprimand on ten senior Police Officers found guilty of unauthorised disclosure of official secret, dishonesty, sabotage and conduct unbecoming of senior Police Officers.
“Another nine senior officers were given punishment of reprimand while a Deputy Commissioner of Police was found not guilty and exonerated. A letter of warning was served on an Assistant Superintendent of Police.”
Meanwhile, the statement also announced the approval of promotion of several senior officers comprising 11 Commissioners of Police elevated to Assistant Inspectors General of Police, 16 Deputy Commissioners promoted to Commissioners , 21 Assistant Commissioners elevated to Deputy Commissioners, 57 Chief Superintendents promoted to Assistant Commissioners , 1,348 Superintendents elevated to Chief Superintendents and 876 Deputy Superintendents promoted to Superintendent.
“The Commission had earlier treated recommendations on Police Promotions and promoted several senior Police Officers. These include eleven Commissioners of Police to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police; 16 Deputy Commissioners of Police to Commissioners; 21 Assistant Commissioners to Deputy Commissioners; 57 Chief Superintendents to Assistant Commissioners and 1348 Superintendents to Chief Superintendents which included Obi-Ejoh Nnamdi Patrick, former Commander Anti Narcotics section, FCT Command, now serving at Kaduna Command and Milicent Amadi, Officer in Charge of Surveillance, State CID Ebonyi state Command.
“Others were 876 Deputy Superintendents promoted to Superintendents and which also included the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO for Enugu State Command, Daniel Ndukwe,“ the statement added.
According to the statement, Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu retd, during the plenary vowed that the Commission will do everything to ensure that Police Officers must be disciplined to effectively carry out their constitutional responsibility of enforcing the law and protecting lives and property.
DIG Argungu noted that the Commission will accord Pending Disciplinary Matters (PDM) the required attention so that no Police Officer is unduly stagnated.
The decisions have since been conveyed to the Inspector General of Police for implementation in a letter signed by Secretary to the Commission, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani.
