..Sacks 18 senior officers, demotes 19 others for misconduct
The Police Service Commission , PSC, has reprimanded two Assistant Inspectors-General of Police for refusal to carry out lawful instructions while one other received a letter of warning for negligence.
PSC knocked harder on some officers by approving the dismissal of 18 senior police officers and demotion of 19 others for offences of misconduct and other disciplinary issues.
These were part of the decisions reached by Mr Hashimu Argungu led commission, at its first Plenary Meeting in Abuja, where decisions on 109 pending disciplinary matters and 23 Appeals and petition cases with 13 court judgments seeking compliance were considered.
Details of the affected officers were not given in a statement issued by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, in Abuja on Friday.
It stated that the commission had earlier considered and approved recommendations on several promotion matters conveyed to it by the Inspector-General of Police for implementation.
That the plenary meeting presided over by the Chairman of PSC, Mr Hashimu Argungu. after a rigorous consideration of the pending disciplinary matters before the commission approved the dismissal of 19 senior Police Officers.
“The senior officers consist of 10 Assistant Superintendents, six Deputy Superintendents, two Chief Superintendents and one Superintendent.
“The commission also approved the reduction in ranks of 19 other senior police officers, consisting of one Assistant Commissioner of Police, one Chief Superintendent, two Superintendents, two Deputy Superintendents and 13 Assistant Superintendents,” the statement added.
Several other officers found culpable received different punishments including, severe reprimand, and letters of warning.
According to the statement , most of the officers dismissed will also 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 after considering 23 appeals and petitions and nine legal matters/court judgments.
The statement said the commission would henceforth be considering police disciplinary matters with dispatch.
It said the idea was to free police officers who were not found wanting to continue with their career progression and those found culpable to serve their punishments.
The PSC warned that it would not spare police officers who indulged in civil matters like land disputes, marital issues and rent related disputes.
Argungu said the courts should be allowed to do their work while the Police should pay more attention to criminal matters and threats to life.