The Nigerian Police Force has dismissed 18 officers for various offenses, such as abuse of power, gross indiscipline, and extortion. The dismissals took place in October and December 2022, and April 2023.
On October 4, 2022, the Police Service Commission dismissed seven senior police officers for gross misconduct and demoted 10 other officers. The dismissed officers included one Chief Superintendent of Police, one Superintendent of Police, and five Assistant Superintendents of Police.
ALSO READ: Bauchi Police arrest two suspects who murdered an Okada rider and stole his bike
Additionally, one Superintendent of Police was retired in the public interest. The commission also demoted a Chief Superintendent of Police to Superintendent of Police, three Superintendents of Police to Deputy Superintendents of Police, two Deputy Superintendents of Police to Assistant Superintendents of Police, and four Assistant Superintendents of Police to Inspectors.
On December 22, 2022, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Berde, announced that his command had dismissed seven policemen for flagrant abuse of police standard practice.
In April 2023, the Nigerian Police Force dismissed three senior policemen for misuse of firearms, abuse of power, gross indiscipline, and wastage of live ammunition. The officers, formerly attached to a Kano musician as escorts, were caught on video shooting into the air. They were identified as Inspector Dahiru Shuaibu and Sergeants Abdullahi Badamasi and Isah Danladi.
On April 19, 2023, the Delta State Police Command dismissed Inspector Ubi Ebri for allegedly killing a 26-year-old man, Onyeka Ibe, along Ugbolu-Illah Road in Asaba for allegedly refusing to give a bribe of N100.
ALSO READ: Nigeria to face Italy, Brazil, and Dominican Republic in U-20 World Cup
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer based in Abuja, Pelumi Olajengbesi, commended the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, for maintaining discipline in the Force. Olajengbesi said that if the police sustain their energy and value for professionalism and strict discipline, the Force will witness a significant turnaround that will reduce extrajudicial killings and abuse of firearms by policemen.
He further praised the IG for taking action against officers involved in criminal activities, including extortion, brutality, and extra-judicial killings. He also applauded the emphasis on extending punitive actions against commanders with direct oversight functions over notorious police units.