Months after Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mr
Ibrahim Idris, recommended policemen that effected the arrest of suspected
billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, better known as Evans, for
promotion, accepted by the Police Service Commission(PSC), a new member of the
PSC, has started calling for the demotion of the officers.
The matter had since been filed at a Federal High Court
Abuja, restraining PSC from demoting officers who were promoted by the IGP
for gallantry
Idris, however, has urged PSC chairman, Musiliu Smith, to adhere
to the court order.
The
policemen, who are part of Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and
Tactical Intelligence Unit (TIU), were given special promotion after they
synergized and arrested Evans and the late Henry Chibueze, also known as,
Vampire.
Unfortunately
for these policemen, during the special promotions, Idris and the then chairman
of PSC, Sir Mike Okiro, over 1000 policemen and women were promoted, sparking a
protest. Many policemen, who were not favoured in the promotions, described it
as, “buying promotions.”
At
least six men, among those promoted for gallantry, filed a motion ex-parte before the
Federal High Court Abuja, in a suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1077/2018 to stop
the PSC from demoting them and others promoted
between 2016 and 2018 based on gallantry and Superlative
performance in Compliance with all the requirements of the Law for officers to
be promoted for Superlative performance.
Justice Abdu-Kafarati, who presided over the
matter ordered and restrained the PSC, who were defendants in the
suites, their agent, servant and privies from demoting the plaintiffs and
several other police officers duly promoted by IGP pending the determination of
the motion on notice file before the court.
The IGP, in a letter
dated October 4, 2018, while reacting to the court order, highlighted
that the principles guiding promotions and assessments of police officers,
which was clearly spelt out in Section 149 of the Police Act and Regulations,
were followed before the officers were promoted.
He added: "Promotions of officers from different
ranks on general duties shall be made subject to the fitness of the individual. This
includes physical fitness, knowledge of the duties of the appointment, general
capacity, training, experience; and the capacity to control, direct and superintendent
over subordinates.”
Idris, who expressed
worries over the intention of the PSC to demote over 1000 police
officers, said the officers contributed immensely to the successes achieved in
the fight against kidnapping and terrorism within the country.
He said: “It is on
the basis of the principles guiding promotions and assessments of policemen
that over 1000 police officers who took part in arresting high
profile kidnappers and terrorists were recommended for promotions and
approved by a sitting board of the commission. This has been a long standing
practice in the Force as previous IGP has equally recommended their gallant
officers for promotions. One can only wonder why only those promoted
between 2016 and 2018 are being targetted. I’m worried
that if the Commission goes ahead to demote over 1000 police officers,
who have been decorated and occupying their duty posts and are making very
great achievements in the fight against crime, the ripples effect in the
security architecture of the country will be bad. This will affect
the cardinal objective of Mr President, which is security in Nigeria.”
The IGP said: “It has
not happened in the history of the Nigeria Police Force, that officers
recommended for promotions by the IGP and approved by the PSC were demoted
by the same Commission, except in the exercise of their powers of
discipline which must follow the laid down procedures for
discipline. I’m quite certain the Chairman will always set good
precedent and not one that will destroy the security architecture of the
country. It is in the light of the above that I appeal to the highly
experience Chairman of the Commission, not to allow the police head for a
collision. This can only be averted if the order of the court is
respected, and the court allowed to determine whether a police officer will
just be demoted without committing a disciplinary offence.”
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