Police dismiss second officer in one month for misconduct (+Video)

For the second time in a space of one month, the Nigeria Police have dismissed on their personnel from the Lagos Command for misconduct.

The dismissed policeman was filmed searching through the phone of a man, as the video subsequently went viral on social media.

Following the uproar caused on social media, the Inspector General, Mr Usman Baba Alkali summoned the errant officer for questioning at the Force Headquarters in Abuja after which the offending personnel was stripped of his kit.

In a statement confirming the development, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the officer, identified as Corporal Opeyemi Kadiri was charged with ‘gross misconduct, disobedience, unlawful order, and assault on a member of the public, captured in a viral video on August 3, 2022.’

According to Adejobi, the dismissed Corporal Kadiri with Force No. 509745 was attached to the Dolphin Divisional Headquarters, Lagos Police Command.

“The dismissed officer who, enlisted into the Force on 6th December, 2016, was caught searching a commuter’s phone by the road side contrary to the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, fdc, to that effect.

“The Police hereby calls on officers and men of the Force to maintain professionalism and civility to members of the public in the discharge of their duties in line with extant laws.

“The Force equally calls on members of the public to ensure proper conduct in all encounters with police officers to avoid infractions which may be subject to prosecution,” the statement read.

The dismissed Kadiri, who was seen in a video on Twitter searching a man’s phone in Lagos, was summoned to Abuja to appear before the IGP Baba, at the police headquarters in Abuja.

Confirming the development on Friday, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, noted that the IGP, Thursday, personally interrogated Kadiri with other members of the Force Management Team.

“We will update you with the outcome of his trail asap,” SP Hundeyin stated.

It would be recalled that a viral video on Twitter showed CPL Kadiri searching the phone of a man who kept telling him, “…collected my phone and was searching, whereby the Inspector General of Police has said it on TV that you should not search our phone. Why are you searching my phone?”

It would also be recalled that the former IGP, Mohammed Adamu, had ordered police officers to stop checking citizens’ phones.

Before now, the disbanded SARS operatives had insisted on searching phones of Nigerians youths at checkpoints or any location.

During such encounters at roadblocks or patrols, policemen, in most cases, forcefully snatch phones belonging to innocent citizens.

They search through e-mails, text messages, as well as chats on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Sometime November 2021, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Bassey Ewah, also advised Nigerians not to give any policeman who stopped them at the checkpoint their phones without a warrant.

He noted that if the police were on an investigation, they would present a warrant and then demand for the phone.

Ewah disclosed this while answering questions during a programme organised by the Police Community Relation Committee in Lagos State.

“I am stand to be corrected. Please do not give any policeman who stopped you on the checkpoint your phones. it’s not our schedule. If we are investigating you, we will present a warrant and then demand for your phone. Please take note.

“Tell your associates and friends on the street, if you present your papers and they (the policemen) say they are not okay; just tell them, police take me to your Divisional Police Officer. There is no point arguing with them because the man is deaf.”

In late July, the police also dismissed an Inspector attached to its Mobile Force unit for extortion of motorists.

The dismissed officer had in a viral and trending video made by a commuter which caught him extorting motorists had also publicly boasted that the ‘even the Inspector General of Police knows and cannot stop him from extortion.’

However, in a swift reaction after the video went viral of social media, the police authorities summoned the officer to its Abuja Headquarters and dismissed him from the service while also publicly de-kitting him of the uniform.

The officer, identified as Mr. Richard Gele, said to hail from Benue State, joined the police in 2020.

He was allegedly filmed by a commuter showing him extorting motorists along the Itobe – Anyigba Road in Kogi, the video which was uploaded to social media sites trended all week.

A statement confirming the development issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Friday, disclosed that the dismissed officer was attached to the Police Mobile Force 77 Squadron, Okene, Kogi State.

“The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed one Mr. Richard Gele, the Police Inspector caught in a viral video dignifying and justifying extortion of members of the public and official corruption which trended from the 25th of July, 2022.

“The Inspector, with AP/No. 188547, who until his dismissal, was attached to Police Mobile Force 77 Squadron, Okene, Kogi State and deployed to the Itobe – Anyigba Road, for safety of road users and commuters, along the route, where the incident occurred.

“The dismissed Inspector who hails from Benue State, was enlisted into the Force in September, 2000.

“His dismissal came after subjection to internal disciplinary mechanism and being found wanting of the charges levelled against him in line with extant laws governing the conduct of police personnel.

“He therefore ceases to be a member of the Nigeria Police Force with immediate effect. The officer has been de-kitted and handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State, for further necessary action.

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, fdc, while expressing the staunch commitment of his administration at bequeathing policing standards in tandem with international best practices to the nation, warned all personnel to eschew extortion, unprofessionalism, official corruption and other inappropriate acts.

“The IGP urged them to display exemplary courage and patriotism in the discharge of their duties,” read the statement by Adejobi.